Pokemon: Brotherhood
by DarkSlash9
Summary: AU. Ash is a nerd. He's hated by most girls, is in computer club, and is awkward. His mute fraternal twin brother Red, is a popular guy in their school, star of the lacrosse team, and loved by all the girls. Despite their different lives, they'll always be brothers. What happens when a pair of attractive twin girls come to their school? Ash x May, Red x Serena.
1. Beginnings

**Hello! My name is DarkSlash9.**

**I know the whole high school theme is pretty overused, but I'll try my best to make this story worth reading. Enjoy the story!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own pokemon.**

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**Chapter 1**

Beginnings

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The morning sun shone brightly on the beautiful region of Kanto. A region filled with beautiful pokemon, people, and cities. Deep in the heart of this wonderful region lay Pallet Town, a small town with wonderful people happy to help you in any way they could. This, reader, is where our story begins...

"BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP." beeped an alarm clock.

"Ugh... crap... school." grumbled a teen as he turned off the alarm clock.

This teen was none other than a 16 year old boy by the name of Ashton Ketchum, or Ash for short. He was 5 feet and 9 inches tall, tan, and had messy black hair. His chocolate brown eyes darted around the room, looking for his glasses. He found them resting next to the alarm clock, where he left them. He picked them up and put them on. Once he could see properly, he turned his head to the left, to see another bed on the other side of the room. In it, asleep, was someone Ash knew very well. His fraternal twin brother, Redwood Ketchum, or Red for short.

"Red, get up... Summer Break is over... today's the first day of school..." said Ash unhappily.

Ash dreaded school everyday. It wasn't exactly fun for him. He was seen by most people as a nerd, with not many friends and an awkward personality. Of course, this affected his luck with girls. Most girls hated him, and if they didn't, they just thought he was weird. He had tried to ask out girls before, and it never ended well. He wasn't very good at sports either. He had the coordination of a blind man. His teeth were lined with braces, that sometimes gave him a speech impediment. He had two Z-shaped birth marks on his cheeks, which lead to people cracking jokes that he "survived Voldemort twice". Overall, he really didn't have much going for him.

His brother Red was much more fortunate. He had no reason to hate school. He stood 3 inches taller than Ash, and had the same black hair, just not as messy. His skin was nowhere near as tan as Ash's, and he didn't have Z's on his cheeks. His eyes were also brown, just a shade lighter than Ash's. He was the star of both the Soccer and Lacrosse teams, leading both teams to regional championships every year. He was one of the most popular guys in their school, girls throwing themselves at him everyday. And to top it all off, he had a smile that could cause any girl to pass out from the beauty of it. The only thing that he lacked was a voice. At birth, his vocal cords had to be surgically removed, due to a rare, potentially life-threatening disease that was growing in them.

Even though their social lives were polar opposites, they were as close as could be.

"Come on Red, get up." said Ash as he made his way across the room to Red, who was still asleep in his bed.

Ash shook his brother into consciousness, abruptly waking him. Red open his eyes, dazed and confused. He then squinted his eyes at Ash, expressing how annoyed he was about Ash's method of waking him.

"Don't look at me like that. I _tried_ to wake you up normally. Desperate times call for desperate measures." said Ash.

Red rolled his eyes and got out of bed. He walked over to a drawer and pulled out a red towel.

"You wanna shower first?" asked Ash.

Red nodded his head as he walked out of the room, leaving Ash to think about how much fun he wasn't going to have at school. Ash stood in the room for countless minutes, thinking about life. Red had it all. He had looks, skills, and girls. Ash had none of that. At times, Ash envied his brother's good fortune. There were countless times Ash wondered what it would be like if they switched lives for a day. But of course, that wasn't physically possible. Ash sighed, as he sat on Red's bed. As soon as he sat, he realized he sat _on _something. He stood up and turned around to find Red's Raichu, gasping for air.

"Whoops. Sorry Raichu." said Ash.

"Rai rai chu chuuu..." grumbled Raichu.

"Hey, can you wake up Pikachu? I'm gonna go rush Red out of the shower. He's taking too long, as usual." said Ash.

Raichu nodded his head and scurried over the Ash's bed, attempting to wake up Ash's Pikachu. Ash left the room, and headed for the bathroom, towel in hand. Ash knocked on the bathroom door.

"Red! Hurry up! I need to shower too!" called Ash.

As soon as he spoke, Ash heard the shower stop. A few minutes later, Red opened the door, grinned, and threw a handful of soapy foam at Ash's face. He then quickly closed the door, and resumed his shower.

"Dammit Red! If I wasn't wearing my glasses, you could've gotten soap in my eyes!" growled Ash.

Ash, not planning on waiting any longer, kicked the bathroom door open, to find Red already finished taking his shower. He was just running the water, to make it sound like he was still taking a shower. Ash was beyond irritated. Red only made it worse by laughing hysterically. Of course his laugh was silent, but it had the same effect.

Ash picked up a tube of toothpaste and threw it at Red, who dodged it. Red then left the bathroom, snickering.

Once the boys were finished showering and dressing up, it was time for breakfast.

They entered the kitchen, where their mother, Delia Ketchum, was cooking.

"Good Morning boys!" said Delia happily.

"Good Morning Mom, what's for breakfast?" asked Ash, his stomach grumbling.

"Eggs and Bacon. Sit down at the table; it's almost ready." said Delia, not taking her eyes off the stove.

Ash and Red sat down, ready to demolish their mother's wonderful cooking. There was a long silence, only broken by the bacon sizzling in Delia's frying pan. In order to make things interesting, Delia decided to start a conversation.

"So boys, did you hear about how your school district expanded it's borders?"

Red tilted his head in question, while Ash spoke up. "Huh? Really?"

"Yup. We received a letter in the mail yesterday, along with a list of all the new students." said Delia, handing Ash the letter.

Ash picked up the letter and read it aloud.

"_Dear Parents and Students,_

_I hope you all had a happy and healthy Summer Break. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of the recent expansion of our school district's borders. we have added an extra 10 square miles to our territory, and with this new area, comes new students. Attached to this sheet is a list of all the new students entering our school district, along with what class they are in. Students are encouraged to welcome these new additions to the Pallet Town School District with open arms. I look forward to a great school year.  
_

_ Warm regards,_

_ Samuel Oak,_

_ Superintendent of Pallet Town Schools."_

_"_Exciting, huh?" asked Delia.

Red smiled and nodded his head, while Ash shrugged his shoulders.

"Go ahead, read the list." said Delia, as she finished cooking the bacon.

Ash read the list aloud. Not really caring about the younger kids, he skipped to the part of the list that had the high school students.

_"James Anderson, Senior._

_Sarah Bond, Sophomore._

_May Maple, Junior._

_Serena Maple, Junior._

_Max Maple, Freshman._

_Kevin Smith, Freshman._

_Eric Wilson, Senior."_

"Hey, maybe those two girls.. May and Serena Maple, are twins, just like you guys! And they're both Juniors, just like you guys! Wouldn't it be cool if you both dated them?" said Delia, as she handed the boys their food.

"Cool, but highly unlikely." said Ash gloomily, as Delia left the room.

Red, knowing how negative his brother could be, pulled out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times. He then took a napkin from the table and wrote on it. He then handed it to Ash, in an effort to cheer him up.

Ash looked at what was written on it.

_"Don't be so negative. I'm sure this school year will be better for you."_

Ash rolled his eyes and looked at Red. "You do realize that you say that every year, right?"

Red's eyes widened at the realization that he did, in fact, say that every year. Unable to think of a reply to Ash's good point, he began shoving his face with food, effectively escaping having to give a reply. Ash sighed and began solemnly eating his food. The rest of breakfast was spent in silence.

Soon, it was time to go to school. Ash and Red walked to school, since it was so close by.

"Bye Mom! We're leaving!" called Ash to their mother, who was upstairs.

"Wait, wait wait!" called Delia as she rushed down the stairs, a bag in hand. Don't forget your hats!"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." said Ash, while Red smiled in anticipation to see his new hat.

It had become a Ketchum Family tradition that Ash and Red would get a new hat before every school year. Delia pulled out two hats. One was red, with a white semi-circle on the front and a white visor(Ash's Kalos Region Hat), and one was red, with a white front, red visor, and a green symbol on the front (Ash's original hat.)  
Red immediately grabbed for the one with the white semi-circle, while Ash dashed towards the one with the green symbol. They both placed the hats on their heads and looked in the mirror, happy with their new hats.

Red, now in a festive mood, pulled out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times, and wrote on a sheet of paper. He then handed Ash the sheet of paper and ran out the front door, waving goodbye to their mother.

"What's got into him?" asked Delia.

"I dunno." replied Ash, as he looked to read the paper.

_"I'll race you to the school! HAH! I got a head start."_

"Oh no you don't!" laughed Ash as he bolted out the door, leaving his mother very confused.

"Sometimes I just don't understand those boys..." she said as she closed the door and walked back upstairs.

* * *

Ash's burst of speed was very short lived. In a matter of minutes, Ash was already out of breath, walking. Red was nowhere in sight.

"No fair... he's much more athletic... _I_ should have gotten the head start." thought Ash aloud.

He continued the walk to school alone, until he was approached by a familiar figure. Ash's heart sank. He knew who it was, and it was the last person he wanted to see.

"Sup, loser." said the figure.

"What do you want from me, Kenny?" asked Ash, not making eye contact.

"Well, I came to teach you a lesson. I found out about that little stunt you tried to pull last year. You tried to ask out my girlfriend." said Kenny.

"Look, I had no idea you and Dawn were dating." said Ash.

"Bull-fucking-shit. You knew exactly what you were doing. You were trying to turn her against me." said Kenny, growing more and more irritated by the second.

"What does it matter? It's not like she actually said yes to me. She's still _your _girlfriend, so leave me alone." said Ash as he began to walk away.

"No, she's not my girlfriend anymore. She dumped me, and it's all your fault! You made her think I'm a jerk!" said Kenny, pulling Ash back by the arm.

"But you _are_ a jerk." said Ash, yanking his arm free from Kenny's grip.

"Oh yeah? You think you're funny?! I'll teach you some manners right now, smartass!" yelled Kenny as he punched Ash in the face.

Ash stumbled back, reeling into a tree, his nose bleeding. Kenny walked over to the tree that Ash was propped against, and prepared to punch Ash again. Ash closed his eyes, waiting for the hit, but it never connected. Ash opened his eyes, to see Kenny's fist being held by none other than his brother, Red, who had a deadly calm expression on his face.

"What the-" was all Kenny had time to say before Red knocked him out in one punch. Red then pulled out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times, and wrote on Kenny's forehead. He then handed Ash a tissue to clean up the blood from his nose.

Ash read what Red wrote.

"_Don't fuck around with my brother. If you fuck around with my brother, you fuck around with me."_

"Thanks, Red." said Ash as he wiped the blood off of his nose.

Red smiled in response. After Ash had finished cleaning up all the blood from his face, Ash and Red walked to the school. In no time, they were in front of their school, Pallet Town High. Written under the banner with the school's name was "Home of the Pallet Town Rhyhorns! Kanto's Undefeated Soccer and Lacrosse Champs!". Ash sighed as he and Red entered the building. Immediately, as usual, people swarmed around Red, effectively separating Ash from Red.

Ash took out his cell phone and sent Red a text message, since speaking to him was no longer an option.

**_"I'm going to the nurse's office to make sure my nose is okay. Seeya later. -Ash."_**

Almost immediately, Red replied.

_**"Yeah, that's a good idea. Bye.**_

_**P.S. Try not to be so gloomy. It's a brand new school year. Try to make the best of it. -Red."**_

Ash put his phone in his pocket, and walked towards the nurse's office. Halfway there, two girls bumped into him. One had long, honey blonde hair, and cyan eyes. The other had shorter, brown hair, and sapphire eyes. They were both pretty, but the one with brown hair really caught Ash's attention.

"Oh, we're sorry. We're new here, would you happen to know where Professor Rowan's classroom is?" asked the blonde one.

"Hi I'm Ashton Ketchum. But you can call me Ash. Professor Rowan's room is down that hallway, second door on the left." said Ash awkardly.

"Umm... thanks," said the blonde one, slightly bothered by Ash's awkward personality. "I'm Serena Maple, and this is my fraternal twin sister, May."

"Hello." said May kindly.

"H-hi." said Ash, blushing. He quickly scurried away towards the nurse's office, not wanting May to see him blushing.

_"What's wrong with me?! I just met her and I'm already blushing! How is that even possible! It can't be love at first sight, that's irrational! UGH, this is exactly why people think I'm weird!" _thought Ash as he entered the Nurse's office.

"Hello, how can I help you?" asked Nurse Joy.

"I fell and landed on my face." lied Ash. "I just want to know if my nose is okay."

"Take a seat, I'll be with you in a minute." said Nurse Joy.

Ash sat down, thinking about his encounter with the Maples, specifically May.

_"She sure was pretty though."_

* * *

After the swarm around him finally dispersed, Red sighed in relief. He opened his backpack and looked at his schedule. It seemed his first class of the day was Mathematics, taught by Professor Rowan. He walked to the classroom, ignoring all the girls sending flirty looks towards him. Sometimes Red loathed his popularity. Mostly the girls. Red had multiple ex-girlfriends, and he never really liked any of them. _They'd _ask _him_ out, not the other way around. And Red, not wanting to hurt their feelings, would always say yes.

There was not one girlfriend he had that he really wanted to be with, which is why he was the one to always end the relationships. This made him come off as a heart-breaker to some girls, but that didn't stop them from throwing themselves at him anyway. It was annoying.

When Red finally reached Professor Rowan's room, there was a crowd of people outside of it. It seemed Professor Rowan hadn't opened the door of his classroom yet, so Red deduced that the crowd was his classmates for first period. he recognized everybody there, except for two girls. Unknown to Red, these were the same two girls that bumped into Ash earlier. Red thought they were both pretty, but the sight of Serena sent chills down his spine. She was beautiful.

Red walked over to them and waved enthusiastically.

"Hello. I'm Serena Maple. What's your name?" said Serena.

Red pulled out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times, and a notebook. He quickly scribbled his name into the notebook and showed Serena.

"_Redwood Ketchum. But you can call me Red._" read Serena aloud. "Hi Red. Do you have a brother or something? We just met a kid named Ash with the same last name."

Red nodded his head enthusiastically, completely absorbed in Serena's beauty.

"_He's my twin brother._" wrote Red.

"Cool, we're twins too!' said May.

"Why aren't you speaking, Red?" asked Serena, raising an eyebrow.

Red quickly scribbled another sentence into his notebook.

_"When I was born I had a disease that resulted in my vocal cords being removed."_

"Wow, so you're mute?" asked May, astonished.

Red nodded his head and smiled. What happened next surprised Red. Neither May nor Serena had a reaction to his smile. Usually girls blushed or had some kind of positive reaction when he smiled. It happened so often he was kinda used to it. But there they were, acting as if nothing ever happened. This just made Red like Serena even more, somehow.

Before Serena or May could ask any more questions, a voice was heard.

"NO WAY! RED'S IN OUR CLASS!" screamed a girl from behind him. Red's eyes immediately widened, knowing what was coming next.

"OMG! He's so hot!" shouted another girl.

"Redwood Ketchum! YOU WILL BE MY HUSBAND ONE DAY!" screamed yet another girl.

And like lightning, Red was swept away from May and Serena by a swarm of girls. Red struggled to free himself from their grasp, but could not. To make matters worse, he saw a certain scumbag by the name of Kenny, who had washed Red's message off his face, make his way towards Serena and May.

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**Thanks for reading! Til next chapter, adios.  
**

**~DarkSlash9**


	2. Crushes

**Yo. Serena may seem OOC in this story. Then again, she's a new character, so we don't know her full personality yet.  
**

**As you may of may not have known, I answer any questions I get in reviews. So here's some Q&A.  
**

Ultratron562

Pretty good so far, I always thought May and Serena looked a lot alike, glad that that I voted for this.

**Answer: I know, this one's not a question, but I had to respond to this review. THANK YOU. When I first saw Serena, I too thought she looked ridiculously similar to May. Glad there's someone out there who agrees.**

Qruis

okay... i like it but something doesn't fit in my mind... "Serena MAPLE", from what I know, in the fandom her last name is "Yvonne", but i guess i can get used to it. the same with the stereotypical nerd Ash. it was really nesesary to add the braces? And how Red can be mute? he speaks at the mangas... lets see what happends next ;)

**Answer: The braces are necessary. Having them adds to Ash's large amounts of insecurity and lowers his confidence. And I've never read the manga, so I didn't know Red could speak. I purposely made him mute for two reasons. The first reason is for running gags such as "Red's handy dandy black marker, which he has at all times". The other reason is that at some times, Red's inability to speak will become a major inconvenience or obstacle.**

**Okay, now that that's over, enjoy chapter 2: Crushes!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own pokemon.**

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**Chapter 2**

Crushes

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Luckily, before Kenny could speak to the girls, Professor Rowan opened the door. Red had never been so happy to see a teacher in his life.

"Come on in students. Ladies, please stop suffocating Mr. Ketchum and enter the classroom." said Professor Rowan, not amused with the girls' antics over Red.

The girls reluctantly backed off from Red, and entered the classroom. Before entering the classroom, Red looked around for Kenny, who he saw walking down the hallway. Red felt a wave of relief wash over him. It seemed Kenny wasn't in his math class.

"Mr. Ketchum, are you going to enter the classroom or not?" asked Professor Rowan.

Red quickly walked into the classroom, adjusting his hat as he entered. Most of the girls sighed in adoration as he adjusted his hat, but Serena and May didn't. May didn't because she simply wasn't paying attention, but Serena saw it, and she had no response. Red was flabbergasted. Red was in love.

Professor Rowan closed the door behind him and ordered all the students to line up and wait for him to assign their seats. One by one he called the students names, telling them where to sit.

"Redwood Ketchum. Fourth Row, second desk."

Red walked to his assigned seat, and prayed that Serena's seat would be near his.

"Serena Maple. Fifth Row, second desk."

Red's head almost exploded in joy. Serena's seat was _right next to his! _Red could hardly contain his joy. He watched as Serena sat next to him, her beautiful cyan eyes looking out the window. Red spent 99.9% of the period watching Serena out of the corner of his eye, with a small smile on his face.

Little did he know, Serena was fully aware that he was sneaking glances at her.

* * *

By noon, lunch time had come. Ash entered the cafeteria, hungry as could be.

"Where's Red?...He said he'd pick our lunch table today." thought Ash aloud, as he looked around.

He finally spotted Red sitting at a table all the way in the back of the cafeteria. Ash walked over to the table and sat.

"Hey Red. How was your morning?" asked Ash.

Red pulled out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times, and a notebook. He then proceeded to write about how his day was going. He then handed the sheet to Ash.

_"Well, I met Serena and May, those twin girls Mom was talking about. Apparently they've met you as well. They're both pretty, but Serena is DIVINE! I've never seen any girl as beautiful as her! And even better, HER SEAT IS NEXT TO MINE IN MATH!__ She's smart, kind, and beautiful! So, I guess you could say my morning went well. How's your day going?" _

"My morning has been pretty uneventful... when I met Serena and May, I kind of- what are you looking at?" said Ash, noticing Red wasn't paying attention anymore.

He turned his head in the direction Red's was turned. Ash's eyes widened. It was May and Serena, looking for a place to sit. It seemed like they were having trouble finding a table that could take in both of them. Ash then looked at the table he and Red were seated at. There was more than enough room for both girls, considering it was only Ash and Red at the table.

Ash looked at Red, and Red's facial expression said it all. He was going to invite May and Serena to their table. That was the last thing Ash wanted.

"Red, don't you dare-"

Red waved to Serena and May, ignoring Ash.

Out of the corner of her eye, May saw somebody waving their arm. She looked, to see two familiar boys, with enough space at their table.

"Hey look Serena, it's the Ketchums! Why don't we sit with them? It seems like Red want us to." said May.

"No." said Serena flatly.

"Why not?" asked May.

"I'd rather not." said Serena.

"Nonsense!" laughed May as she waved back at Red, blatantly disregarding Serena's will.

Ash felt chills down his spine when he saw May wave back. It sent even more chills down his spine when they started walking towards their table.

"Dude! WHY?!" whispered Ash.

Red gave Ash a questioning look.

"Well, maybe if you were paying attention, I would have gotten to tell you that when I met them today, I chickened out and ran, like an idiot! Now they might ask why!" whispered Ash.

_"Well, why DID you run from them?" _wrote Red with a straight face.

"I was blushin-"

"Hi Red, Hi Ash." said May as she and Serena arrived at the table, abruptly ending Ash and Red's conversation.

"Hey." said Serena disinterestedly.

"Hello." croaked Ash shyly, as Red smiled and waved.

"Is it okay if we sit with you guys?" asked May.

Red nodded his head. May sat down at the first seat she saw, while Serena purposely sat in a seat that distanced herself from both Ash _and _Red. They all took out their lunches and began eating. It was painfully silent. Deciding to break the ice, May spoke up.

"Soooo... Red, It seems you're quite the celebrity in this school." said May with a smile. "People say you're the captain of both the Soccer and Lacrosse teams, and you scored the winning goals at regional championships for both sports."

Red grinned and nodded his head, proud of his achievements. He shot a quick glance at Serena, to see if she was impressed. Serena was not impressed. In fact, she seemed more impressed with the flavor of her salad than Red's achievements.

"Wow, have you gotten any scholarships yet?" asked May.

Red nodded his head and put up 4 fingers.

"Four scholarships and you're not even a senior yet? That's really uncommon in a place like Kanto!" said May.

Red scratched the back of his head, flattered. May was about to ask Red yet another question, but she was cut off by Serena.

"So Ash, what do _you _ do?" said Serena, tired of hearing about how great Red was.

"Umm... I'm a computer programmer. I run the Computer Club after school on Tuesdays." said Ash quietly. "I also draw on my free time."

Nobody saw or heard, but Red silently chuckled when Ash mentioned drawing.

"That's interesting, our little brother Max likes computer stuff. Maybe he could join your club." said May, "Can I see your drawings?"

Ash looked up from his lunch to see May staring at him, waiting for an answer to her question. Ash felt that familiar sensation again. He was blushing. In an effort to hide it, he quickly turned around to open his backpack, looking for his sketch book. He purposely took a long time to take it out, giving his blush enough time to fade away. Unfortunately for Ash, as soon as he turned to hand May the book, the blush returned.

_"I guess there's no point in hiding it." _thought Ash. _"Maybe she wont notic-"_

"What's wrong Ash? Your cheeks are all red." asked May innocently.

_"Crap." _thought Ash.

Red deciding to help Ash out, intervened. He pointed to Ash, and then made a motion with two fingers that resembled someone running.

"I don't follow." said May, unable to decipher Red's gestures.

Red then pointed to Ash again, and made a gesture with his arms, simulating someone doing pull ups. He then added in a couple of other gestures and motions.

"What?" asked Serena, equally as confused as May.

"He's saying I just came from Phys. Ed. class, and my cheeks are red because I'm tired." said Ash, perfectly understanding Red's unique sign language. He then, while May and Serena weren't looking, quickly winked at Red, thanking him for the save.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh..." said both girls in unison.

May then opened the sketchbook, and turned the page. The first picture was of a poorly drawn Rapidash.

"Is... is this supposed to be a Blastoise?" asked May.

"No, that's definitely a Starmie." said Serena as she sipped her juice.

"You're both wrong, it's a Rapidash. See? There's it's hooves and that's it's face." said Ash.

"Oh, I think I see it now..." said May, turning the page. "Okay, this one is definitely a Kyogre!"

"It kinda looks like Arceus to me." said Serena.

"That's a Pidgey." sighed Ash, ashamed of his poor drawings.

"Damn, you suck at drawing." said a voice that belonged to none of them.

Red, Ash, May and Serena all looked at the source of the voice to find Kenny, smirking. Ash and Red's eyes immediately narrowed. May rolled her eyes, and Serena smiled.

"Oh hey Kenny, what's up?" asked Serena casually.

Red's eyes widened for a second in surprise, but then quickly turned back into narrow slits. Ash however, had a much more outspoken response.

"You girls are_ friends _with Kenny?" asked Ash, astonished.

"Yeah," said May uninterestedly, "Since childhood. Why?"

"Yeah Ketchum, why? You got a problem with that?" asked Kenny condescendingly.

Ash opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by the feeling of Red softly kicking his leg under the table. He quickly glanced at Red, who slowly shook his head, with a serious expression on his face. As much as Ash wanted to say something, Red was usually right when it came to situations like these, so Ash sighed and spoke.

"No, just curious." said Ash.

"Good." said Kenny. "So girls, there's some space for you at my table, wanna come sit with me and my friends?"

"Sure, I don't mind." said Serena quickly as she packed her stuff. "You coming May?"

May glanced at Ash and Red, who momentarily stopped glaring at Kenny to look at her. She hesitated for a second, and then sent Ash and Red apologetic looks. She then handed Ash his sketchbook and picked up her bags.

"Yeah, I'm coming." sighed May reluctantly. "Bye Red, Bye Ash."

"Bye." said Ash quietly.

Serena and May then walked away with Kenny, leaving just Ash and Red at the table.

"Why did you stop me? I could've told them about how much of an ass he is!" asked Ash.

Red pulled out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times, and opened to a blank page in Ash's sketchbook. After writing down two sentences, he tossed the sketchbook back to Ash.

_"Who do you think they'll trust more: A childhood friend, or two random guys they just met? I stopped you because bad-mouthing Kenny will probably ruin our chances of dating them in the future."_

"Hey! What makes you think I want to date one of them anyway?!" asked Ash, as he folded his arms and looked away from Red.

Red stared at Ash.

"What?" asked Ash.

Red did not stop staring.

"Okay, May's attractive, so what?" said Ash.

Red continued staring.

"Alright, she's _very _attractive. That doesn't mean anything." said Ash.

Ash began to wonder how Red could stare so long without blinking.

"Fine! I like her. A lot!" said Ash in a defeated tone. "Just so you know, I don't plan on asking her out any time soo-"

Ash was cut off by the sound of the school bell ringing, which meant that lunch was over. Ash and Red both glanced over to Kenny's table, where May, Serena, Kenny, and a couple of other kids were packing their belongings. After picking up her schoolbag, May turned to the direction of the Ketchums and waved goodbye, smiling. Red smiled back, while Ash shakily waved his hand.

"We'll talk about this later." said Ash as he grabbed his sketchbook and left the table. "Later, Red."

Red smiled, as he placed his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times, in his pocket. He then picked up his stuff and followed Ash out of the cafeteria, thinking about his chances with Serena.

* * *

The rest of Ash's school day went by quite eventfully. Ash had learned that he shared a class with May, Pokemon Advanced. It was an optional class that studied pokemon biology and evolution. While May was in the class, her seat was on the opposite side of the room, which meant that communicating with Ash was impossible, though Ash was not the type to talk during a class anyway. He also shared Science class with Serena, and even though their seats were relatively close, not much happened between them. That all changed when Serena was made Ash's lab partner_. _Neither of them were very pleased with the idea of working together on every experiment of the school year, but they decided they'd get used to it.

Red on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. His day was boring after lunch. He had a couple classes with his best friends Paul and Gary. It was nice, but he would've preferred to have the classes with that certain honey blonde beauty that had stolen his heart. He spent most of the day thinking about her, and soon, he realized he was becoming obsessive.

Red fully accepted his obsession over her and resumed thinking about her for the rest of the day.

When school finally ended, Ash and Red met in their meeting place; The boys bathroom on the second floor. They always met there. Whether it was to exchange an item or talk, that was usually the place they met. On this day, they met there so they could walk home together.

"So like I was saying at lunch, I'm not asking May out. Ever." said Ash darkly as they walked on the path towards their home.

A curious look appeared on Red's face, and Ash noticed.

"I just don't want it to end up like other girls that I've asked out... She's probably not going to like me. I don't think I'm very attractive." said Ash.

Red rolled his eyes at Ash's low self-esteem and even lower confidence. He then pointed to his own face, and then at Ash's face, and made a couple more odd gestures. Ash understood it easily.

"We don't look alike at all! First of all, you're not as tan as I am. Your hair is not as uncontrollable as mine, your eyes aren't the same shade of brown, you don't wear glasses, you don't have metal bars lining your teeth, and you don't have _THESE_!" said Ash, pointing to the Z-shaped birth marks on his cheeks. "Just what the hell _are_ these?!"

Red shrugged, he too wondered just what the hell they were.

"Exactly. We don't look alike whatsoever. So yeah, I wont be asking out May. I'd rather just befriend her, and enjoy the friendship."

Red pulled out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times, and scribbled a few words on his hand. He then showed Ash his palm, allowing Ash to read what he wrote.

_"That might be the biggest load of lies I've ever heard. NO MAN wants to be in the friendzone. It's a scientifically proven fact, bro."_

"Whatever. How about this then; how would I date her with Kenny so close to her? He's a huge factor to take into account, since apparently, he's known them both since childhood."

For a second, Red's facial expression darkened, acknowledging the very real threat that Kenny could mess everything up. Red then waved his hand, in dismissal of the topic.

"Red, I just don't want to take any chances this time around. I want to play it safe." said Ash.

Red did not reply in any way, leaving the rest of their walk home to be had in silence. When they were almost home, a school bus drove past them. Ash and Red thought nothing of it. Little did they know, two familiar young ladies were on that bus...

* * *

"Hey look Serena, it's the Ketchums!" said May for the second time that day. Their bus had just drove past Ash and Red, who were walking home.

"Oh... cool." said Serena sarcastically.

"What's up with you today Serena? You've been really quiet and odd. You're not your usual happy self. Are you sick or something?" asked May, concerned.

"I'm fi-"

"Who are the Ketchums?" asked their little brother, Max.

"They're these twin boys we met today. One of them is a computer wiz, just like you, Max. He runs the Computer Club on Tuesdays, you should join." said May.

"Awesome! I can't wait!" said Max, excited to join the Computer Club. He then spotted a cute blonde girl in the back of the bus waving to him. He quickly left May and Serena to talk to said girl.

"Where are you going Max... Oh." said May, seeing Max's destination. "So whats wrong, Serena?"

"It's those Ketchum boys. That's what's wrong." said Serena blandly.

"I really like them. What do you think of them?"

"Well, for starters, its painfully obvious that Red has a huge crush on me." said Serena.

"Really? That's great! You should date him!" said May.

"You know how I feel about popular guys... I never date them. I've been quiet all day because I've been trying to think of a way to tell him I don't like him, without hurting his feelings. I've been giving off body language that I don't like him back, but he doesn't pick up on any of it."

"Oh..." said May. It was true that Serena never dated popular boys. She claimed that they were all self centered, cocky, and had too much pride. May always told her that it was bad to jump to such conclusions, but Serena would never listen. It got to the point where Serena gained a reputation in their old school for turning down almost every boy that had the bravery to ask her out on a date. "What about Ash? What's so bad about him?"

"Let's just say I don't enjoy his company." said Serena uncomfortably. "He's always nervous about something, and is horrible at hiding his blush. He's ridiculously geeky too. Ugh, and now he's my lab partner! Then again, I guess having him as a lab partner isn't that bad, since he's some kind of super genius. But still, he might be the most awkward kid in the galaxy!"

"I think he's ADOOOORABLE. He's got that cute, awkward, nerdy feel to him. That, and his poor drawing skills are funny." said May with a smile. "And I think Red is pretty cool. I really think you should give him a chance."

"No." said Serena monotonously.

"Fine..." sighed May.

"So, we're going to the mall with Kenny today." said Serena, changing the subject.

"Ughhhhhh, do we have toooo?" whined May. She wasn't as close to Kenny as Serena was. Deep down, she hated his guts.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" said Serena.

"For you..." said May, pouting. "You're the one who's had a crush on him for years..."

* * *

**I know this story has some humor in it, but the humor will eventually fade as the story progresses. Thanks for reading, seeya next time!  
**

**~DarkSlash9**


	3. Meetings

**Howdy. Well everyone, I've got some bad news. Spring Track and Field has started, and I wont' be updating as fast, as the only time I'm able to write is on weekends. Sorry. :(  
**

**Q&a time!**

FoxInTheGras

Hey, I really liked how this story is going on! Nice work! I do have a question though. Is the Kenny from this story the same one as the Kenny from the Pokemon series?

**Answer: Thanks! Yes, this is the Kenny from the anime.**

******Alright, enjoy Chapter 3! **

******DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Meetings

* * *

Night had fallen in Pallet Town. It was late, and most people were preparing to sleep for the night. Red and Ash were no different. Red had already gone to their room, and Ash was getting ready to do the same. The first day of school had been more eventful than they expected, and Ash and Red were exhausted.

"Alright, Goodnight Mom. Seeya tomorrow." yawned Ash.

"Oh! Ash! I forgot to tell you! I got a call from your orthodontist today." said Delia.

"Yeah?"

"Your braces are getting removed in 2 months!"

"R-really?!" asked Ash, overjoyed.

"Yep! In 2 months, you'll be able to show off that beautiful smile you've been hiding!"

"Awesome!" said Ash, jumping into the air. "Goodnight Mom!"

"Goodnight Ash." said Delia as she watched him happily zoom up the stairs.

* * *

Ash, thinking Red was still awake, ran into their room, shouting.

"Red! Re-"

Red, who had just fallen asleep, slowly turned to Ash and gave him a tired, annoyed look. It was a known fact that a tired Red was an angry Red. Red loved his sleep, and temporarily hated anyone who disturbed it.

"Oops. Anyway, guess what? My braces are getting removed in 2 months!" said Ash with a grin.

Red pulled out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times, and a piece of paper. He quickly wrote something down, crumpled the paper, threw it at Ash, and went back to sleep. Ash caught the paper and read it to himself.

_"Fan-fucking-tastic. Now shut the hell up and let me sleep."_

"Heheh, goodnight Red." said Ash as he walked to his bed.

In response, Red, eyes closed, gave Ash the middle finger.

Ash ignored his brother's harsh gesture and laid down, staring at the ceiling. Ash had many reasons for his insecurity and low confidence, but one of the major ones were his braces. He hated them. He just viewed them as one of the many other reasons why Red was better than him. But soon, they would be out of the equation. It felt odd to think that his braces were finally going to be taken off, after 5 years of having them. Would his smile be like Red's? Would it be better than Red's? Or, Arceus forbid, _worse_ than Red's?

_"I guess I'll just have to wait and see... I wonder what May will think when she sees me without them..." _thought Ash as he drifted off into sleep.

* * *

BEEP BEEP BEEP

As usual, Ash was the only one to wake up when the alarm clock rang. But instead, Ash decided that he'd shower first and wake up Red after, stopping Red from pulling any pranks like he did the morning before.

Ash spent his whole shower doing what most teens his age did. Think up nearly impossible, unrealistically perfect scenarios in his head.

_"This is ridiculous."_ thought Ash, blushing. _"I've just met her and I'm already thinking of romantic dinners with her and dates and-"_

Ash's thoughts were interrupted by a series of rushed, intense knocks on the bathroom door. He momentarily turned off the water in the shower.

"Who is it?" asked Ash.

Silence.

"Is that you Red? Knock once for yes and twice for no."

One quick knock was heard.

"What do you want Red?" asked Ash.

Ash then heard the sound of Red pulling out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times. A few seconds later, a piece of paper slid under the door. Ash got out of the shower, put his towel on, and read the note.

_"Please hurry up."_

Ash smirked. It was time for his revenge. Barely able to hold in his laughter, Ash silently walked over to the shower, and gathered as much soap foam as he could.

"Fine, I'll be out in a sec!" chuckled Ash.

Pile of soap foam in hand, Ash slowly opened the door. He slipped his head through the doorway, and looked at Red. Red was in his pajamas, and had his towel in his hand. His face was very non-emotional. Ash paid no mind to Red's mysteriously serious behavior and smiled at Red. He then threw the mound of soap foam at Red's face, copying exactly what Red had done to him the morning prior.

But it did not end the same way as it did previously. Red dodged the ball of soap, grabbed Ash roughly, pulled him out of the bathroom, ran in, and locked the door behind him, all in one fluid motion. All of it was done without Red changing his blank facial expression.

"Hey! I wasn't done in there! Dammit Red!" shouted Ash as he heard Red turn on the shower. _"What's got into him?"_

Ash shrugged and left, resuming his morning routine. He spent the whole time wondering what could be wrong with Red. After dressing up, he went downstairs, and greeted his mother, who was cooking breakfast, as usual.

"Ash, where is Red?" asked Delia Ketchum.

"I dunno. He's taking an unusually long time to get ready today."

"Hmm..." hummed Delia, as she placed two slices of bread into the toaster.

"He's also been acting really weir- Oh, there he is now." said Ash, spotting Red's feet coming down the staircase.

Red slowly came down the staircase, looking extremely neat. He was wearing a new red jacket, new gray jeans, new shoes, new everything. His hair was neatly combed, and his face was bright and free from any oils. His teeth were always white, but this time, they were extremely white. He wore a bright smile on his face, which completely confused Ash, as he was almost emotionless earlier that morning.

Red strode happily into the kitchen and sat at the table, still smiling.

"*Sniff* *sniff* Are you wearing cologne?" asked Ash.

Red nodded.

"Why? And what's with the extra care put into your appearance?"

Red shook his head and wiggled a finger. He had no intentions of telling Ash his plans for the day.

"Oh come on! Tell me!" whined Ash.

"Ash, if Red doesn't want to tell you, he doesn't want to tell you. Leave him alone." said Mrs. Ketchum as she handed the boys their breakfast.

"Thanks mom." said Ash as he began to devour the food. Temporarily forgetting Red's odd behavior.

Ash noticed that Red made sure to eat neatly and calmly, which was very unlike him. But Ash, too absorbed in their mother's awesome cooking, shrugged it off. Once breakfast was finished, Red hurried upstairs to brush his teeth. For the second time that morning.

"I need to find out what he's planning..." thought Ash aloud as he watched Red hurry up the stairs.

A few minutes later, the boys were ready to leave. Ash and Red said their goodbyes to their mother, and departed for school. The walk to school was spent in silence. Red seemed to have a determined look on his face, which only grew more and more determined as they got closer to the school.

"Red, seriously, what do you have planned?" asked Ash.

A confident smile is all Ash received as a response.

"Alright, I'm guessing there's about a 99.9% chance this has to do with Serena?"

Red nodded.

"What, are you trying to impress her or something?"

Red glanced at Ash for a second before nodding his head again.

"Oh..." said Ash, noticing Red's hesitation. Something told Ash that was only half the truth.

A couple minutes later, the school was in sight. Ash spotted two girls walking into the building.

"Hey look, it's May and Serena. We should go speak..." trailed off Ash as Red sped up his walking pace, leaving Ash behind. "...to them."

Ash watched as Red followed Serena. Suddenly, Ash's eyes widened, as he came to a dreadful realization.

"No... I hope he's not going to... No way..." mumbled Ash. He then saw Red greet the girls as then gesture towards Serena to go with him somewhere. "Oh no."

It all made sense. Red was going to ask Serena to go on a date with him. Ash immediately pulled out his cell phone and texted Red as fast as he could.

**"Red, you idiot! Stop! Don't ask her out! You haven't known her long enough! It's just gonna creep her out!  
**

**-Ash"**

Ash sent the message, and waited for a reply. Within a few seconds, Red replied.

**"Don't worry about it. The idea came to me in a dream last night. Mystical shit like that happens for a reason. This is my destiny! I AM A MAN OF ACTION!**

**-Red"**

Ash stared at the screen of his phone, utterly baffled by Red's ridiculous reasoning. But then Ash realized something else. He didn't really care. So he calmly walked down the hallway, trying his best to forget his brother's certain doom.

* * *

Ash's warnings had little to no effect on Red's confidence. He strode down the hall, Serena curiously following close behind.

"Okay Red, we're isolated. What do you want to talk about?" asked Serena.

Red took a deep breath, and proceeded to do a series of odd gestures and motions.

"I don't get it." said Serena, her head tilted in confusion.

Red sighed, slightly agitated. He then pointed to Serena, then to himself. He then moved his fingers to make them look like two people were walking. The fingers then walked into a locker.

"You want to walk me into a locker?" asked Serena.

Red shook his head. His patience was dwindling. He did more gestures, hoping she would understand.

"Red, I really don't understand what you're trying to say."

Red's patience had disappeared. Aggravated, he quickly took out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times, and wrote in big letters, "WILL YOU GO ON A DATE WITH ME?" across the lockers next to them. Realizing that he'd just wrote on the lockers in permanent marker, he immediately tried to wipe it off, but to no avail.

Serena on the other hand, was frozen in dread. She knew this day was coming, just not this early. She was certain that she didn't like Red. She liked Kenny. She loved Kenny. As much as she hated hurting people's feelings, it had to be done.

"Umm.. Red?"

Red stopped wiping to lockers to look at Serena. Serena took a deep breath, and spoke.

"You seem like a really nice guy. I really want to be friends with you... but that's all I want to be with you. I'm sorry, but you're just not my type...' said Serena sadly. "I really want to stay friends with you thou- Red?"

Red was standing, still as a statue. His eyes were full of shock. Pure, unrefined shock. He slowly turned around and stiffly walked away.

"Umm... I'll see you later...?" said Serena as she hesitantly walked away, in the opposite direction that Red walked.

Red, still in a state of shock, walked all the way to boys bathroom on the second floor. He walked in, and was not very surprised by who he saw there. In the bathroom was Ash, and it seemed like he was waiting for Red.

"So, 'MAN OF ACTION', has your 'destiny' been fulfilled?" asked Ash, smirking.

Red glared at Ash.

"Hey, don't be mad at me. I warned you. You should have listened to me." said Ash.

Tears formed in Red's eyes as he fell to the ground, curled up in a fetal position. Ash rolled his eyes.

"Geez, pull yourself together! You do realize you're laying on a BATHROOM FLOOR, right? Come on, at least she didn't say something like, 'You're just not my type.'"

Red looked up at Ash, with eyes full of pain.

"Oh... she _did_ say that... Damn. Calm down Red. It's not like your chances with her are ruined or anything. She probably needs more time to get to know you. You have to really befriend someone before you go asking them to go on a date." said Ash, helping Red back onto his feet. "I think it's best you skip 1st period, considering you sit next to her in that class."

Red, still crying, made a bunch of sloppy gestures with his arms.

"Sorry bro, but I can't stay with you. If I skip, It'll ruin my perfect attendance record that I've been holding since preschool..." said Ash in a sympathetic tone. "I'll see you at lunch okay?"

Red nodded his head. And right on time, the school bell rung, signaling the students to head to their first period class.

"Bye Red." said Ash as he left the bathroom.

Red resumed weeping in a fetal position, wondering if this was all a dream or not.

* * *

The students of Professor Rowan's first period class entered the classroom, ready to begin the lesson. Serena was the last to enter the classroom, and by the look on her face, May could tell that there was a lot on her mind. May watched as Serena slowly trudged over to her desk. Strange enough, Red's desk was empty.

_"Alright, this definitely has something to do with Red." _thought May, staring Serena down analytically.

The class began, and Red had still not come. The time had come for Professor Rowan to take attendance. He grabbed the sheet of paper and began calling out the names of the students in alphabetical order.

"Terrence Keegan."

"Here."

"Ashley Kelly."

"Present."

"Redwood Ketchum."

Nothing.

"Mr. Ketchum, I am aware that you cannot speak, but please try to inform me of your presence with a knock on your desk or something." said Professor Rowan, not looking up from his paper.

Still nothing.

"Well then," said Professor Rowan, scanning the room for Red, "I guess Mr. Ketchum is absent."

May was watching Serena when Red's name was called. She seemed to wince in guilt every time Professor Rowan said his name.

* * *

It was 3rd period by the time Red had finally composed himself. He quietly walked to his 3rd Period class, Art. He slowly entered the classroom.

"Sup Red... You're late dude." said the Art teacher, Professor Sycamore.

Red mustered up all his might into faking a nervous smile.

"Ahaahaha, it's alright man. Funky stuff happens sometimesss... Just don't make a habit of it, catch my drift?" said Professor Sycamore lazily. "Grab your sketchbook and draw away."

Red slowly walked over to his art table and pulled out his sketchbook. He then scribbling random lines all over his paper, to make it look like he was drawing. He was actually sulking. He was so absorbed in his sulking he didn't even pay any attention to his two best friends that were sitting right in front of him.

"Red, what happened? You look horrible." asked Paul.

"Yeah, you're even more dull than Paul, if possible." concurred Gary.

Red looked up from his paper, and sighed. He then flipped to a different page of his sketchbook, pulled out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times, and wrote a huge paragraph explaining what had transpired that morning.

After reading it, Gary's eyes widened.

"Damn! Why the heck would you ask out Serena Maple? She's like, the hardest girl in the world to acquire. She has a reputation for rejecting guys!" said Gary.

"I agree with Gary. You should have done your research before taking on a challenge like her. You should have listened to Ash. Asking her out was a suicide mission." said Paul.

"So Paul, who do _you_ have your eyes on?" asked Gary, elbowing Paul's arm.

"I'm not telling you anything." snapped Paul.

"Oh come on... Let me guess, is it that tomboy Zoey?" asked Gary.

Paul's eyes lowered to the floor, a small blush appearing on his face.

"HAH! IT _IS_ ZOEY! Damn Paul, you really do have a thing for tomboy-redheads! First Misty, now Zoey? Who's next, Morrison wearing lipstick?"

"Shut it Gary. Who do YOU like?" asked Paul.

"Same girl I always have. Dawn. Now that that bastard Kenny is out of the picture, this is my chance to swoop in and charm her. Gary Fucking Oak style." said Gary.

"Well good luck with tha-"

Paul was interrupted by Red snapping his fingers three times then pointing to himself, reminding Gary and Paul that Red was in distress.

"Listen man, I don't know what to tell ya. I guess you could try to stay friends with her, build your relationship, then try again. Right, Paul?"

Paul nodded his head.

"You are Redwood Ketchum! The most loved, and no homo, charming guy in this school. Second to me, Gary Fucking Oak of course. I'm sure if you play your cards right, you can win her over."

A small smile appeared on Red's face, giving him hope. He wasn't fully happy yet, but it was a start.

"Yo Reddy Red Red," said Professor Sycamore, who appeared out of nowhere. "How's your drawing comin' along?"

Red quickly turned to his page of random zigzags and scribbles. Professor Sycamore's eyes widened.

"This... This is the greatest piece of abstract art I've ever laid my eyes upon! My goodness, I don't even know if I can fully interpret this masterpiece. I can see that those lines in the corner represent the government's role in society, while the scribbles over there are clearly portraying your wishes for women to have equal rights all around the world... Truly spectacular. I don't think I've ever had such an artistically gifted student in my class. This is just fucking amazing..." said Professor Sycamore, ripping the sheet of paper from Red's sketchbook. "I'll be taking this and submitting it into the Regional Art Show. This shit's fucking amazing..."

Red, Gary and Paul all stared at Professor Sycamore, eyes wide. Professor Sycamore then walked off with Red's "drawing", leaving Gary, Red, and Paul at the table, confused as could be.

"I cannot even fathom how much weed that guy smokes daily." said Gary.

* * *

The end of the school day had come. It was Tuesday, which meant that Ash had Computer Club. Excited to meet with his club members, Ash raced to the computer lab. He opened the door and took a deep breath. The computer lab felt like a second home to Ash. He looked around to see his loyal members of the Computer Club: Tracey Sketchit, Cilan Dento, and Clemont Citron.

Tracey was very artistic, and was often seen sketching pokemon. His sketches put Ash's to shame. He was a year older than Ash, and was almost a foot taller.

Clemont was Ash's age and height. He wore large, circular glasses, that often shined when he had a good idea.

Cilan was also a year older than Ash. He was an average guy, except for the fact that he always wore formal clothes.

"Hey guys." said Ash.

Cilan, Tracey and Clemont responded with a chorus of greetings.

"It's feels so great to see you guys again. Well, since no one new has joined the club, I guess we'll just pick up where we left off-"

"Ash, I think there's someone at the door." said Clemont.

"Oh, maybe a new member." said Ash as he walked over to the door. "Hello, welcome to the Computer-"

Ash opened the door to find 3 figures. May, Clemont's little sister Bonnie, and a person who Ash did not know. He had messy black hair and a pair of loose fitting glasses.

Ash immediately felt butterfrees dancing around in his stomach. But he was used to it. That always happened when May was near him.

_"Alright Ash, don't fuck this up." _thought Ash to himself.

"-Club." gulped Ash nervously.

"Hi there!" said May cheerfully.

"H-hi. What's up?" said Ash, trying his best to keep his cool.

"Nothing much. This is my little brother Max. He wants to join your Computer Club." said May, pointing to Max.

"Hi Max." said Ash, reaching out for a handshake.

"Hey. You're Ash right?" asked Max with a smile, shaking Ash's hand.

"Yep. Ashton Ketchum at your service." said Ash with a dorky smile.

"Just a heads up, May thinks you're cu-" started Max. His sentence was cut off by the feel of May punching him in the back of the head. "Ow! Heheh, fine, I'll keep my mouth shut."

May growled in response. She then realized Ash had sen the whole thing. She instantly returned to her bubbly self.

"Don't listen to a word he says. He's stupid. Anyway, I guess Bonnie and I will be on our way. We're heading to the Cooking Club." said May.

Ash nodded his head, not really paying attention. Something else was occupying his mind at the moment_. "What was Max going to say? What does May think of me? Wait a minute. If Max even knows who I am, then that means May and Serena have been talking about Red and I at home. I guess that's a good sign..."  
_

Before May and Bonnie left, Max quickly placed a quick kiss on Bonnie's lips, which shocked everybody but May, Max and Bonnie.

"BONNIE EUREKA CITRON! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" shouted Clemont, his head almost exploding.

"It was a kiss, Clemont. I know, the concept must be new to you." said Bonnie, clearly not phased by the volume of Celmont's voice.

"Dammit Bonnie, I know what a kiss is! I'm upset because you are WAY too young to participate in one!" yelled Clemont, not as loud as before.

"Shut it, Clemont. You're just jealous because your love life is about as successful as your 'inventions', while _mine_ is flourishing." said Bonnie, hugging Max.

"My inventions are successful!"

"Really? Name _one_ that hasn't exploded 7 minutes after completion."

"...Whatever." mumbled Clemont, not able to think of a comeback.

"I thought so. Bye Maxy! Love ya!" said Bonnie as she walked out the door. May followed her out, but not before whispering in Ash's ear.

"Tell Red not to give up on Serena. He's the perfect guy for her. She just needs to realize that." whispered May.

May then skipped down the hall, following Bonnie. Ash thought for a while, and then closed the door.

"Alright guys," said Ash, silencing everyone. "we have to assess Max, to see where he could help out the most in our project."

"What's your project?"

"We're creating a video game." said Ash with a smile.

"Woah, that's a big project. Is this like a small, kiddie game, or a _real_ video game?" asked Max.

"A real video game. I find it insulting that you'd even think we'd be making a 'small, kiddie game.'" snapped Clemont.

"Calm down Clemont. You can't pick on Max just because he's dating your sister." said Tracey.

"I can pick on who I damn well please-"

"Shut up, Clemont." said Ash sternly. "If you pick on Max, I'll be forced to kick you out of the Computer Club."

"...Fine." said Clemont bitterly.

"Anyway, we're making a real video game." said Ash.

"Cool! What's it about?!" asked Max.

"Well, we all know that becoming a Pokemon Trainer and going on a journey is ridiculously expensive and time consuming, right? Many people would want to be a Pokemon Trainer, but not all of us have the time or money to do it. Wouldn't it be great if people of any age could go on a pokemon journey from the comfort of their home, without paying for traveling fees and other annoying bills?" said Ash.

"Yeah, that'd be convenient." said Max.

"Well that's where our game comes in. For the past 2 years, we have been developing a game that simulates a real pokemon journey. In our game, you can catch pokemon, challenge gym leaders, and even battle the Elite Four! All the locations in the game are based of off real locations, and you can even catch legendary pokemon such as Zapdos, Moltres, and Arcticuno. There are 151 catchable pokemon, all with extremely accurate AI, so they'll fight in the same style that their real life counterparts do. The game is about 75% complete. Once we complete the game, we plan on sending a copies of it to a variety of game companies, hoping one will acccept it. Then, we'll be rich!" said Ash.

"Thats... amazing." said Max in awe. "What's the game called?"

"We're still thinking of a name, but for now it's called _Pokemon Blue. _Now, before we begin working, we need to know your skills, so we can find out what aspect of the game you'll help with. But first, let me tell you what everybody does. Clemont and I are the main programmers. We handle all the code and procedures of the game. Tracey over there is responsible for all the animations and pixel art. And finally, Cilan here is in charge of the soundtrack. He synthesizes all the music and sound effects that will be in the game."

"It's nice to meet you all." said Max. "As for my skills, my main talent lies in my pixel art. I'm okay at coding, but I think that you and Clemont have that part of the game handled."

"Yeah, we do. And I doubt Cilan needs help with the music, so I guess you'll be helping Tracey out with the visuals."

"THANK YOU! Ugh, I already feel less stressed." said Tracey.

"Alright guys, we have our work cut out for us. I want us to have this game finished by the end of this school year. Now that we have a new member, to process should speed up a bit. It's go time!" said Ash as he started his computer.

* * *

After hours of hard work, the Computer Club was dismissed. Ash had walked home, alone. Surprisingly, he made it home safely. He entered his home to find his mother cooking dinner.

"Hey Ash. How was Computer Club?" asked Mrs. Ketchum.

"It was fine. I'm starving. What's for dinner?" asked Ash, his stomach grumbling loudly.

"Fried Pikachu." said Mrs. Ketchum nonchalantly.

"WHAT?!"

"Hahaha, just messin' with ya. We're having spaghetti and meatballs." laughed Mrs. Ketchum.

"You almost gave me a heart attack." muttered Ash. "Where's Red?"

"He's upstairs."

Ash nodded his head and walked up the stairs. He opened the door of his room to find Red in a fetal position, holding a sheet of paper. Next to Red was Red's Raichu and Ash's Pikachu, both looking worried for the teen. Ash sighed and walked over to Red.

"Red, what the hell is this?" said Ash, snatching the sheet of paper from Red's hand. Red just looked at Ash tiredly, not leaving his fetal position.

Ash read the paper to find a bunch of poetry written on it.

_"Roses are red,_

_violets are blue._

_Serena rejected me._

_Shit."_

Ash read another one. This one was a haiku.

_"Rejected by her._

_Why must life be so cruel?_

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck."_

Ash read the rest of the poems, all of them having the same theme.

"Oh come on Red, these don't even rhyme! And the middle line in the haiku only has 6 syllables; it's supposed to have 7!" said Ash incredulously.

Red glared at Ash.

"Listen Red, you can't let one rejection knock you down. Don't give up. Today May told me-"

"Boys! Dinner's ready!" yelled Mrs. Ketchum from the kitchen.

"Come on Red, we'll talk about this after dinner." said Ash as he helped Red get up off the floor.

* * *

**Hey. I think I may have overdid it on then humor in this chapter. Whatever. Next chapter, things will get interesting. Reviews are not necessary, but appreciated. Later.  
**

**~DarkSlash9**


	4. Saves

**Hi. I have realized that the "Red's Handy Dandy Black Marker, Which He Has At All Times." gag is a little overused, so I've limited it to once per chapter. :)  
Let the Q&A begin!  
**

Are all the names used

This is a very interesting story. Do you know of any others that kinda have the same theme?

**Answer: No, I don't. Sorry. I do, however, know a couple really good High School stories that I really enjoy reading. PM me if you're interested.**

Ultratron562

Wait, how old are Max and Bonnie in this?

**Answer: They're about 14 or 15.**

aloof-kokiri

Oh high school romance. So ridiculous. HUGE question. Why on earth is Red not using sign language?! It is downright insanity for someone who is non-verbal not to know at least basic sign. Also, why not use a tablet as a method of communication? Sorry, but as someone with a disability and knowing nonverbal people myself...it's just a personal subject to me. Anyways, good luck with writing!

**Answer: Red knows his own unique signs and gestures. It's a running gag that only Ash can understand his signs. And even if Red knew actual sign language, it wouldn't always work, as not everyone knows sign language. But I do like the tablet idea. Actually, I love the idea of Red using a tablet. He'll definitely get one at some point in the story. Thanks for the idea.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own pokemon.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Saves

* * *

Dinner was over. Ash and Red stayed with their mother for a while before going to their room for the night. Once their door was closed, Ash and Red changed into their pajamas and continued their conversation that was started earlier.

"So anyway, May told me something that I'm sure will cheer you up." said Ash.

Red lifted an eyebrow in question.

"May said that you shouldn't give up. She says you're the perfect guy for Serena, and she just needs some time to realize it. And I think May would know who's best for Serena, considering they're sisters and all."

Red's eyes widened a little, surprised at what Ash told him. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. His fingers glided across the touch screen, forming a quick message. A second later, Ash's phone vibrated. Ash took out his phone and read the message.

**_"Did she really say that? -Red"_**

"Yes, she said that. So stop being so gloomy. Your chances with Serena are very much alive. Are you going to school tomorrow?" asked Ash.

Red grabbed his phone, in an attempt to reply, but his phone died as soon as he touched it. He tossed it across the room nonchalantly. Little did he know it accidentally hit his Raichu, causing it to faint. He then pulled out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times. On the end of his bed there was a small notepad. He picked it up and began writing. Once his note was completed, he crumpled it into a ball and threw it at Ash. It hit Ash's face.

"Fuck you." muttered Ash as he opened the note.

_"Nah, I'm not going to school tomorrow."_

"Why not?" asked Ash.

Red wrote down another note and threw it at Ash, purposely aiming for Ash's face. The note hit it's target, and Red received a murderous look from Ash in response. Ash unraveled the note and read it.

_"I want to clear my head a bit. Today's Tuesday, right?"  
_

"Yeah, today's Tuesday."

Red wrote another note, and threw it at Ash's face. But this time, Ash dodged it, with a triumphant grin on his face.

"Nice try!"

But sadly, in the process of dodging the note, Ash fell off his bed, landing face first, onto the floor. Red laughed his silent laugh, pointing at Ash, who was still on the floor. Ash defeatedly picked himself off the floor and returned to the bed, picking up Red's note on the way. He threw himself onto his bed, and read Red's note.

_"I'll go back to school on Thursday. Now enough about me. Has anything new happened with you and May?"_

"Meh, not much." said Ash, a small blush forming on his face. "Her little brother joined my Computer Club today. He was going to tell me something about her, but she stopped him from doing it."

Red threw another note at Ash. This time, Ash decided to use his brain and catch it instead of letting it hit him. Ash looked at the paper.

_"I think you should form a plan to woo her." _

"Woo her?"

Red nodded.

"'Woo ' as in impress her?" asked Ash, for clarification.

Red nodded again.

"I guess that seems like a good idea... But how? I don't have many talents to impress her with. I doubt my computer skills will impress her. And besides those, what other major talents do I have?" yawned Ash, taking off his glasses.

Ash turned to Red. Red was pointing at Ash's Pikachu, which was asleep.

"You don't mean..."

Red nodded his head.

Ash sighed, thinking about what Red was telling him. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. On his free time, Ash trained his Pikachu to astounding levels, mainly for security purposes such as protecting the house when no one was home. One day, to prove their strength, Ash and Pikachu challenged Red and his Raichu to a battle, winning effortlessly. His Pikachu was his pride and joy, and they had an unbreakable bond. They were an amazing team.

"_Hmm... Pikachu and I's battle skills would definitely impress May... but how will I get the chance to? I can't just bring in my Pikachu and challenge random people to battles..." _thought Ash.

"Red, your idea is good, but how will I do it?"

Red made many hand gestures and motions, communicating with Ash. Ash understood Red's unique sign language easily.

"Yeah, my Pokemon Advanced class does have Battle Day, but that's not till next month."

Yawning, Red sleepily tossed another note to Ash. Ash read it.

_"Just leave that to me. Make sure you catch Pikachu and take him to school tomorrow. Goodnight."_

"What are you going to..." Ash looked at Red, to find him already asleep. "...do?"

Ash shrugged his shoulders, and closed his eyes, drifting off into sleep...

* * *

The next morning was spent like any other. Ash and Red woke up, bathed, and ate breakfast. Red then pretended to be sick, to avoid going to school. Mrs. Ketchum fell for his act. Red was sent to his bed, where he would stay for majority of the day. While Mrs. Ketchum was treating Red's "illness", Ash took on the difficult task of capturing his Pikachu into a pokeball. Pikachu absolutely despised the gadgets, and usually destroyed any that he found.

After numerous failed attempts at capturing his own pokemon, Ash used his last resort. Ketchup. Ash placed some ketchup on the kitchen floor, and waited. Pikachu slowly walked into the kitchen, minding his own business. His ears perked up when he saw the red condiment laying on the ground, ready to be devoured.

"Kachupi..." muttered Pikachu, his mouth watering. He knew it was a trap, but he knew he'd be a fool to let perfectly good ketchup go to waste.  
so against his better judgement, he dashed for the ketchup. As soon as he reached the ketchup, Ash jumped out from his hiding spot and threw a pokeball at Pikachu, catching him.

"Victory." sighed Ash, stuffing the pokeball into his backpack. "Mom! I'm ready to go to school!"

* * *

Ash walked through the halls, along with hundreds of other students, all on their ways to their 7th period classes. Ash was on his way to his Pokemon Advanced class, the only class he shared with May. Ash had been thinking hard the whole day.

_"I wonder what Red's going to do..."_ he thought.

When he reached his destination, Professor Birch, the man who taught Pokemon Advanced, was standing outside the room. He seemed to be waiting for Ash.

"Good afternoon Professor. What's going on?"

"Hey Ash. I got a text from Red this morning regarding Battle Day. He requested that for your sake I move it to today."

"W-wow.." said Ash, astonished by Red's kind act. "H-how did he convince you to change Battle Day to today?"

"Well, It was the least I could do for the star of the Lacrosse team I coach. Red led my team to our first Championship win, so a little favor like moving Battle Day is nothing compared to what he's done for me. But I must ask, why do you want Battle Day to be today?"

"Umm... personal reasons." said Ash, laughing uncomfortably. "I'd rather not say."

"Alright, I'll mind my own business. Come on, let's get started." said Professor Birch, ushering Ash into the classroom.

Ash entered the classroom, his eyes instantly meeting May's. She smiled and waved at him. Ash smiled and awkwardly waved back. He then made his way to his seat, waiting for class to begin. A few minutes later, the school bell rang, signaling the beginning of 7th period. Professor Birch entered the room, smiling.

"Okay students, how many of you brought a pokemon to school today?" he asked.

26 out of the 32 teens in the class raised their hands. Among them were Ash and May.

"22, 23, 24! Good, that'll be enough. For reasons I refuse to tell you, I have decided to make today Battle Day! Now for the 6 of you that didn't bring in a pokemon, not to worry, I have plenty for you to use."

Almost all of the students in the class smiled, excited for Battle Day. All except May, who was looking around in confusion. She had no idea what Battle Day was. So she slowly raised her hand, alerting Professor Birch that she had a question.

"Yes May?" asked Professor Birch.

"Professor, what's Battle Day?" she asked.

The class fell silent.

"Let's connect the freaking dots. It's a day where students have battles. Battle Day." answered a dirt-blonde guy in the back of the classroom.

May looked embarrassed. Ash looked pissed. Professor Birch looked annoyed.

"Trip, please don't answer questions that were not addressed towards you. One more outburst like that and you'll be sent to detention. Do I make myself clear?" said Professor Birch sternly.

"Hmph, whatever." said Trip, scowling at the teacher.

"Anyway, as Trip said, Battle Day is a day where my students have battles. We go to the school's soccer field, and have one-on-one matches. The students in the matches are to battle as they normally would, while the students watching the battle are to take notes regarding type advantages and special abilities. But remember, you're supposed to have fun as well, so don't get too caught up in the notes. Okay?"

"Okay." said May, still a little upset by the way Trip embarrassed her in front of the whole class.

"Grab your pokeballs kids; it's battle time!" said Professor Birch, leading the students out of the classroom.

The whole class noisily followed Professor Birch, talking all the way there. Ash, on the other hand, was relatively silent, as he was thinking of all the awesome ways he could impress May with his Pikachu. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice that he was about to bump into her. He ended up bumping into her.

"Wha- oh, hey Ash." said May with a smile.

"Hmm? Oh! H-hi May. Sorry about that, I just... spaced out." said Ash.

"So... what pokemon do you have with you?" asked May.

"I have a Pikachu. What do you have?"

"A Wartortle."

"Are you excited to battle?" asked Ash.

"A little. I'm more interested in coordinating, but I like battles too!" said May.

"Alright students! The first battle will be picked by random!" said Professor Birch, silencing all the students. "I have put all your names into a hat, and will pick two names. Those two names will be the first students to battle! Now, who has a hat for me to use?"

Everybody in the yard looked around, and eventually, all their eyes set on Ash, as he was the only one wearing a hat. Ash looked around, wondering why he was being stared at.

"Ash, your hat." whispered May, taking Ash's hat off his head.

"M-my hat?" asked Ash.

"Your hat." said May, giggling at Ash's unkept raven hair. "Your hair is funny."

Ash really had nothing to say, as his cheeks were redder than ever. He turned his face in another direction, trying to hide it from May. He failed. But before May or Ash could say anything, Professor Birch picked the first name out of Ash's hat.

"May Maple."

May shrugged her shoulders and walked over to Professor Birch. The Professor gestured towards May's pokeball. May nodded her head and tossed the pokeball.

"Wartortle, take the stage."

In a flash of light, May's Wartortle emerged from the ball, ready to fight. Nobody was surprised at the sight of a Wartortle. An average Kanto pokemon.

"And May's opponent will be..." Professor Birch pulled out the name and when he read it, he frowned. "...Trip."

Ash watched as Trip strode to Professor Birch, a smug smirk on his face.

"Serperior, you're needed." said Trip, releasing his pokemon.

Whispers where heard all around, everybody wondering what a Serperior was. In a flash of light, a beautiful serpent-like pokemon emerged.

"A Serperior..." said Professor Birch, in awe. "Those aren't common around here..."

While everyone was still marveling at Trip's Serperior, May was freaking out. Serperior was clearly a grass-type, which put her and her Wartortle at a large disadvantage.

_"Great,"_ thought May, _"He's gonna embarrass me in front of the whole class AGAIN."_

"This will be a one-on-one match between Wartortle and Serperior! Are both battlers ready?"

"Ready." said Trip confidently.

"Ready..." sighed May.

"Begin!"

"Wartortle, use Tackle!" called May.

"Dodge it." said Trip.

Wartortle raced towards Serperior, ready to tackle it. But Serperior quickly slithered away, avoiding any damage. Without a command from Trip, Serperior used Vine Whip in Wartortle. Wartortle cried out in pain.

"Wartortle! Are you okay?!" asked May.

"Wartortle!" yelled Wartortle.

"Use Water Gun!" commanded May.

"Serperior..." Trip purposely paused to make it more dramatic. "...stand your ground."

Serperior stayed put, allowing the water-type attack to hit it full force. When the Water Gun was finished, there was little to no damage on Serperior's body. Serperior shook off the driplets of water that remained, while Trip crossed his arms.

"Are you serious? A water attack against a grass-type pokemon? Wow, you're dumber than I thought. Serperior, use Leaf Tornado!" called Trip from the other side of the battlefield.

"Serp, Serperiorrrrr!" yelled Serperior as it released a tornado of leaves, all aimed for Wartortle.

"Wartortle! Protect!"

Wartortle formed a protective barrier around himself, keeping any damage from reaching him. Both May and Wartortle were thoroughly surprised when the Leaf Tornado broke through the Protect, inflicting a great deal of damage on Wartortle. After the attack was completed, Wartortle struggled to stand.

"Wartortle, hang in there!" cried May.

"Wartort..le.." muttered Wartortle as it struggled to stay conscious.

May was not happy. The battle had only begun 3 minutes ago, and Trip's Serperior already had her Wartortle on the ropes. Within the past 25 minutes alone, Trip had ruined her whole day. It took almost all of May's might to fight back tears. Why was Trip being such an ass?

"I'm going to take a picture of this so I can always remember this joke of a battle." chuckled Trip as he took out his camera. He quickly snapped a picture of May's Wartortle beaten and bruised. "Alright Serperior, let's finish this up with a Leaf Storm."

"Serperior." replied Serperior, preparing to use Leaf Storm.

"Wartortle..." whispered May, knowing her Pokemon was doomed.

As Trip's Serperior launched what seemed like an endless array of leaves, May closed her eyes, not wanting to see or hear the pain her Wartortle was about to go through.

"Pikachu. Thunderbolt." said a cold, yet familiar voice.

May opened her eyes to see a powerful flash of lightning fry each and every leaf in the air. Everybody's eyes turned to the source of the interruption. Standing alone, was Ash and his Pikachu, the latter of which was growling, sparks flying from its cheeks. May couldn't believe her eyes. Was that cold, angry voice really Ash's?

"Professor Birch." said Ash quietly. "I'd like to battle Trip, please."

"G-go right ahead." stuttered Professor Birch. He was just as shocked as the rest of the class.

Ash walked over to where May was standing. As he was walking, his mind was filled with countless thoughts. He too was shocked by his own actions. He hated seeing May get humiliated by Trip more than anything, but he didn't expect himself to do something so... so _brave._

_"I guess I really do like her. I'd never do this for someone I didn't like." _ he thought. Originally he had planned on using his training prowess to impress May. But instead, he would use it to embarrass Trip.

May watched as Ash walked towards her, his loyal Pikachu following close behind. When he finally reached her, he smiled.

"I think you should get Wartortle some help. He doesn't look too good. In my backpack over there is some Potion Spray. You can use it." said Ash quietly.

This time, it was May's turn to blush and stutter. Ash's brown eyes were burning with determination, something May adored. She already thought shy, brainy Ash was cute, but this Ash she was seeing right now... was something else.

"O-okay." said May as she scurried over to Wartortle, blushing intensely.

Ash watched as she retrieved her pokemon and walked towards Ash's bag. His eyes then turned to his opponent, Trip, who was scowling at Ash.

"Just what do you think you're doing Ketchum? Don't you know that my Serperior also has a type advantage over your Pikachu? It'll end up just like that poorly trained Wartortle." spat Trip venomously.

Ash didn't know how long his burst of bravery was going to last, but he planned to take full advantage of it. So he turned his hat (which he had retrieved from Professor Birch) backwards, and smirked at Trip. A chorus of "Ooooohhh"s and "Ahhhhhs" were heard from the students watching the battle, eager to hear what Ash would say next.

"Type advantages don't always guarantee a win." he said confidently.

Trip snorted. "And here I was thinking you were a bit smarter than the rest of the hillbillies in this hick town. Guess not. Serperior, Vine Whip!"

"Pikachu, dodge and use Quick Attack." said Ash calmly.

Vines came out of Serperior heading towards Pikachu at rapid speeds. With more grace than a Gardevoir, Pikachu dodged the attack. Once all the vines missed their target, Pikachu raced towards Serperior with the fastest Quick Attack Professor Birch had ever seen. The Quick Attack connected, causing Serperior to howl in pain.

"Serperior, pull yourself together and use Slam!" shouted Trip.

Serperior hissed at Pikachu as it attempted to slam itself into Pikachu.

"Pikachu, meet the Slam with an Iron Tail." commanded Ash.

As Serperior approached, ready to slam Pikachu, Pikachu's tail began to glow and harden. Then, with a powerful swing, Pikachu's tail smashed into Serperior's face, resulting in a critical hit. Trip growled, while Ash smirked. But Ash wasn't done yet.

"Now Pikachu, use Double Team."

"Pika?"

"Just go with it." said Ash calmly.

Pikachu shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to use Double Team, creating multiple clones of himself, all of them staring down Serperior. Serperior looked around, trying to find the real Pikachu, but it was pointless. Serperior looked at Trip, waiting for a command. Trip said nothing, waiting to see what Ash would do next.

"Use Tackle!"

Trip's eyes widened as every clone of Pikachu ran towards Serperior.

"Quick Serperior! Use Razor Leaf on as many of the clones as you can!" barked Trip.

Ash smiled, glad that Trip was falling into his trap.

"The _Real_ Pikachu; use Dig." said Ash with a grin.

In the small army of yellow pokemon racing towards Serperior, one of them dug underground. In all the commotion, Trip and Serperior had not heard Ash's order to the real Pikachu, which was just what Ash wanted. Serperior continued to destroy all the Pikachu clones, until there was not a single one left. All the chaos created a cloud of smoke in the air. When it cleared, Only Serperior was on the field. Trip's eyes widened.

"Where the heck is it?" asked Trip.

Ash did not reply. His eyes quickly shot a glance at May, who was staring straight at him, straight faced. He blushed a bit and smiled, causing her to smile back and give him an encouraging thumbs up.

"Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!" shouted Ash.

Suddenly, the ground below Serperior began to rumble, and Serperior began looking around frantically, clearly not understanding why the ground was shaking. Trip was equally as confused. Then, in a flash of bright yellow light, Pikachu emerged from underground directly under Serperior, covered in a thick sheet of lightning. Serperior had no time to dodge. The Volt Tackle hit Serperior, sending it flying across the battlefield. All of Ash's classmates, including Trip, were shocked beyond belief.

Serperior landed painfully onto the ground, groaning. After 10 seconds of groaning, it got back up, hissing a deadly hiss at Pikachu.

"How the hell did it get undergroun- Dig." said Trip, realizing how Ash's plan was executed. "But how can Pikachu, an electric-type, learn Dig, a ground-type move?"

"I simply programmed a TM for it. Easy." said Ash in a nerdy manor. Most of the students watching the battle rolled their eyes at Ash's nerdy reply, but May giggled. Like most of Ash's mannerisms, she thought it was cute.

"Whatever. I've had enough of this. I'm ending this now. Serperior; use your strongest Leaf Storm!"

Nothing from Serperior. Not even a reply. Much to Trip's surprise and Ash's pleasure, Serperior was paralyzed.

"WHAT?! WHEN?! HOW?!" growled Trip.

"Remember when your Serperior tried using Slam on Pikachu? The direct, skin-to-skin contact activated one of Pikachu's hidden moves; Static. It has a 30% chance of paralyzing any foe that physically attacks Pikachu. It seems your Serperior was unlucky enough to fall into that 30%."

"You're joking." muttered Trip.

"Nope, I'm afraid not. It's been fun Trip, but I think I've won this battle. Pikachu, use Thunder, full power!"

"Piiiiiiikaaaaa CHUUUUU!" hollered Pikachu as it shot a powerful bolt of lighting towards Serperior, hitting it's target perfectly. Another cloud of smoke formed, from the intensity of the attack.

When the smoke cleared, Serperior was still standing, albeit breathing heavily. Everybody's, including Ash's, jaws dropped at the fact that Serperior hadn't fainted yet.

_"Damn type advantage... If that Serperior didn't have it, it would have been fried." _thought Ash.

Everybody waited to see what would happen next. Serperior's eyes widened. It then shivered for a second before fainting, making Ash and Pikachu the official winners.

"Shit!" swore Trip under his breath as he returned Serperior to its ball. He then briskly walked off the field, ignoring Professor Birch's calls for him to come back.

"Good Job Pikachu." said Ash as Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder.

"Pika!" said Pikachu proudly.

"ASSSHHHH!"

Ash turned his head to see May fast approaching him. Not knowing what to do, Ash stood as still as possible. As soon as she was close enough, May swooped in to give Ash the most powerful bear-hug of his life.

"THAT WAS SO AWESOME! HOLY CRAP YOU'RE SUCH A GOOD TRAINER OMG OMG WOOHOOO YAAAAYYYYYYY!" shouted May. "Thanks for beating that meanie Trip!"

But due to May's running start, the force of the hug knocked both Ash and May over, causing them to land on the ground. But Ash was still being hugged.

"Ow." said Ash as he landed on the ground painfully.

He then glanced at all the other students in the class and saw that most of them were giggling. At first he wondered why, but he quickly realized. May was on top of him. Ash knew it was only because she accidentally knocked him over, but he knew his classmates probably thought dirtier thoughts. As much as he enjoyed May's praise over his victory and the hugs, he had to interrupt.

"Umm, M-may?" whispered Ash.

"AND THEN YOU USED DIG! THAT WAS SO AWESOME! AND-"

May did not hear him.

"May." said Ash louder.

"AND THAT VOLT TACKLE WAS TOP-NOTCH! I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT~!" squealed May, still not hearing Ash.

"May!" said Ash, raising his voice.

"THAT SERPERIOR WAS SCREWED FROM THE START!"

"MAY!" shouted Ash.

"Hmm?" asked May, completely oblivious to the first 3 times Ash had called her name.

"Y-You're kinda... _on _me." Said Ash, nervously chuckling.**  
**

May's eyes widened as she realized that she was in fact, on Ash. Her head slowly turned to all their classmates staring at them, and then to Ash. A tiny blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Oops." she said quietly.

"Hey you two!" called a student in their class, "Get a room!"

The rest of the student erupted into laughter, causing May to quicKly scramble off of Ash. Ash slowly got up from the ground, turned his hat back to normal, and followed May, who was heading to where all the other students were. They both stood silently, waiting for the next battle to begin. Neither of them really knew what to say. But once the next battle began, Ash cleared his throat and spoke.

"So..." said Ash, trying to start a conversation. "Is Wartortle okay?"

Ash turned his head and looked at May, who was staring at a blade of grass on the ground quite intensely.

"May?" said Ash, trying again. "How's Wartortle?"

"Huh? Oh! Sorry, I just really hate grass sometimes, and I guess I spaced out. But anyway, Wartortle's fine, thanks to your AWESOME interruption." said May gleefully.

Ash paused for a moment. "_Of all the things to hate in the world... s__he hates grass...?"_

"Thanks for intervening. Wartortle might have been seriously messed up if you didn't step in. As a reward, I am buying us some ice-cream after school!"

"Wha-what?" asked Ash, his voice cracking. "B-but-"

"No buts mister! I believe a good bowl of sweet creamy goodness is the perfect reward for what you've done! And I know the greatest ice-cream parlor ever! Meet me near the cafeteria after school, okay?"

"O-okay." said Ash shakily.

_"D-...did we just arrange a date?" _Thought Ash confusedly.

* * *

Red sighed in content. Skipping school was the best. He got to sit in bed all day, watch TV, and eat whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Even better, all he had to do was pretend he was sick. He quickly pulled out his cell phone and opened his Notes app. He typed some words, and then read it to himself._  
_

**_"Note to self:_**

**_Skip school more often_ :)"  
**

Red smiled and tapped the "Save" button. He then stuffed his phone back into his pocket, sighing in content. Again. Deciding to take _another_ nap, Red readied himself to go to sleep. He looked at the time. It was 2:30pm. School ended half an hour ago. Ash should have been home already. He was about to send Ash a text message, asking where he was, when...

"Red! Can you come down here please?" called Mrs. Ketchum from the living room.

Red sighed, this time however, in discontent. He reluctantly removed his blankets off his body and trudged downstairs, as if he was sick. When he made it to the living room, his mother crossed her arms.

"Cut the act Red. I know you're not sick." said Mrs. Ketchum.

Red froze, his eyes wide. He then mouthed the word "How?"

"How? You aren't vomiting, you don't have a fever, you don't have a stomach ache, and you haven't sneezed, coughed, or sniffled all day. I think you stayed home for another reason. A reason you're not telling me."

Red's expression darkened slightly, remembering why he had stayed home. To stay away from Serena for a little and clear his head. Mrs. Ketchum noticed the change in Red's demeanor and sighed.

"If you don't want to tell me, it's okay. I can see that whatever it is, it's bothering you. Have you talked to your brother about it?"

Red nodded.

"Okay. Just know that Ash and I are always here for you."

Red smiled softly and nodded. He then turned around, planning on going back upstairs.

"Hey, come back! That's not why I called you down here!" called Mrs. Ketchum. "We're out of milk, and I need you to go to the Super Market downtown and buy some more. I would have sent Ash, but apparently he's hanging out with a friend. Here's some money."

After counting the money, Red's eyes blinked a few extra times. He then looked at his mom, who chuckled.

"Yeah, there's some extra money in there. Go buy yourself something." said Mrs. Ketchum.

Smiling widely, Red zoomed up to his room, put some jeans, a shirt, and his signature hat on, and rushed out of the house, excited that he could buy something for himself with someone else's money.

Red happily strode down the street, not a care in the world. It was a lovely day outside, the warm sun shining it's light on Pallet Town. Halfway to the Super Market, Red stopped to examine his surroundings. Bright sun, people having conversations... Pidgies flying through the air... It was nice. Red looked around, and saw a girl rollerblading down the sidewalk. She was wearing sunglasses, a hat, and had a lollipop in her mouth. She also wore pink headphones that completely blocked out all sound except for the music she was listening to. She seemed to be daydreaming, as she had a blank expression on her face.

Red paused. The girl looked vaguely familiar...

But before Red could deduce who she was, he saw something horrible. Too absorbed in the catchy tune her headphones were playing, the girl carelessly crossed the street without looking both ways. She was so occupied by her daydreams and her music that she didn't even hear or notice the car that was zooming towards her at a high speed. The driver of the car hit the brakes, but it wasn't enough. He'd end up hitting her if someone didn't save her.

By instinct, Red quickly dashed over to the girl, tackling her out of the car's path. The girl's headphones and sunglasses were knocked off in the process.

Dazed and confused, the girl looked around, wondering what had happened. She saw a car driving away. After a couple seconds, she understood what had happened. She had been careless crossing the street, and that car was about to hit her. But someone saved her. It must have been the guy who was right next to her, face down on the ground, a hat on his head. His arm was still wrapped around her torso in a protective manor. _He _had saved her.

_"This hat looks familiar..."_ thought the girl.

Just then, her savior started to move. Red sat up, removing his arm from the girl's body. His hat's position was blocking his vision, so he adjusted it. The first thing Red saw sent chills through his spine. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened slightly.

"Red?!" exclaimed the girl in shock, lollipop still in mouth.

Red's eyes remained wide. He had just saved Serena. It took all of Red's might to not run away from her. A wave of depression fell over him, as his demeanor instantly darkened. His eyes went from wide to narrow. But he suppressed the dark mood as quick as it came. Deep down, he knew that he shouldn't be mad at her. She had the right to like who she wanted. So, with a new-found surge of forced kindness, Red stood up, and offered Serena a hand to help her off the ground.

Serena cautiously grabbed his hand, pulling herself off the ground.

"Umm.. Thank you for um, you know, saving my life..." said Serena awkwardly.

Red grinned and scratched the back of his head. On the outside he seemed fine, but on the inside... he was dying. Deciding to end the encounter quickly, Red waved goodbye and turned towards the Super Market, planning on buying the milk for his mother and returning home. But before he could, Serena spoke again.

"Wait! Don't go yet..." called Serena. Red turned around to face her. "Why weren't you in school today?"

Red forced another smile. He then did a couple gestures with his arms, simulating someone vomiting. Serena tilted her head in confusion.

"I don't get it." she said flatly.

As calmly as his emotions allowed, Red pulled out his cell phone and typed some words. He showed Serena the screen.

**_"I was_ _sick_. _But I'm fine_**_** now**._"

"Oh." said Serena.

Red then turned to leave again. This time Serena watched him leave.

_"He saved me... How can he be so kind to me after I... I broke his heart? I'm sure that he's still hurting inside. He has to be, it's impossible not to. I feel like I should do something to thank him. But do I have the time? I was on my way to Kenny's house before all this happened... No... As much as I hate to say it...Kenny's going to have to wait. I have to do something for Red... Oh, I know!"_

"Red! Come back!" called Serena.

Red didn't even try to fake a smile this time. He just turned around, one of his eyebrows twitching in irritation.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to get some ice-cream with me? Whether you have money or not, I'll pay for both of us." said Serena hopefully.

After a few seconds to think it over, Red slowly nodded his head, a small but genuine smile on his face. Serena smiled back.

"I know this really great ice-cream parlor on the other side of town. Let's go." said Serena, grabbing Red's hand.

Both the teens froze. Both for the same reason. They were holding hands. Serena quickly let go, much to Red's disappointment. Red was so busy thinking about how awesome that 5 seconds of hand holding was that he didn't even notice the small blush that had appeared on Serena's face.

_"That's weird... I'm blushing. I usually only blush when Kenny's around..."_

* * *

"There it is!" exclaimed May childishly. "Frosty's Ice-Cream Parlor!"

Ash looked at the building analytically.

"I've never even heard of this place before." he said blandly.

"Well _you sir _have clearly never had good ice-cream then!" shouted May as she grabbed Ash, dragging him into the restaurant.

May and Ash found a table by a window and sat down. Almost immediately, a waiter came to take their orders. Ash let May order first.

"I'll have 3 scoops of banana fudge ice-cream with graham cracker crumbs on the top! Ash, what would you like?" said May.

"Umm.. Vanilla?"

"THAT'S SO BORING! Mr. Waiter, please ignore what he just said." said May to the waiter. "I'll order for him. He'll have french vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate chunks and a caramel swirl!"

The waiter nodded his head and left. Ash and May spent the next ten minutes talking about school, and other casual things. Ash had learned during their walk to the parlor that May was not the average girl. As she said before, she hated grass. She also played a lot of video games, and had an overactive imagination. At first Ash thought she was a tomboy, but he learned she wasn't, as she loved girly things as well. She was allergic to 6 vegetables, and she had a large collection of bandanas. She knew how to speak both English and French fluently, claiming that she picked up French "because she was bored'. All that mixed with her bubbly personality made her very unique. Ash loved everything about her.

Ash and May's conversation was interrupted by the waiter arriving with Ash and May's ice-cream. May thanked the waitor and began to slowly eat her ice-cream, savoring every spoonful. Ash on the other hand, stared at his bowl of ice-cream fearfully. May noticed that Ash wasn't eating.

"What's wrong Ash?"

Ash gulped. "I have a bad history regarding ice-cream..."

"Nonsense!" said May as she took Ash's spoon, took a spoonful of ice cream, and shoved it into his mouth.

Ash froze, his eyes wide. His pupils shrunk. He began to shake. Then, faster than a Rapidash, he grabbed his spoon and shoveled countless spoons of ice-cream into his mouth, his eyes still wide. He was a machine. He effortlessly swallowed spoonful after spoonful like a champ.

"Ash." called May, poking his arm.

Ash did not stop. His mind was in another dimension. The ice-cream dimension. He was one with the ice-cream. It seemed like his stomach had transformed into a bottomless pit that could only be filled by ice-cream. The gods of ice-cream had bestowed upon him the limitless power to devour the delicious frozen treat.

"Ash!" said May, shaking him.

He did not respond. It was as if he had emptied his mind of everything except ice-cream eating, and breathing. It seemed like his blood had left his body, being replaced by a never ending flow of rich ice-cream, entering every vein, artery, and capillary, invigorating each cell insid-

"ASH!" shouted May, snapping Ash out of his ice-cream rampage.

"Huh?" asked Ash in an exhausted voice, ice cream covering the lower half of his face.

"We have company." said May pointing to the two new figures walking towards them. "Hi Red! Hey Serena! What brings you here?"

* * *

**Yeah... I know this chapter was supposed to come out a few days ago... but the chapter just wasn't where I wanted it on Sunday night. Sorry bout that. Anyway, I wanna tell you guys some of my plans for this story. The next chapter picks up where this one left off. After the next chapter, there will be a one month timeskip. Just a heads up. As always, reviews of all types are welcome. Constructive criticism accepted as well. Have a beautiful wonderfultastic day.****  
**

**~DarkSlash9**


	5. Tears

**Hi everyone! I'm gonna cut straight to the chase here; Everyone in this story is kinda if not, REALLY out of character. Especially May. She's a lot weirder in this story than in the show. Just throwing that out there officially. Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I dunno why. Anyway, here's the Q&A.  
**

Markenzie

aw man! You left me hanging! you know, your story is not boring AT ALL like other highschool themed stories! yours is actually fun to read, VERY fun to read! I hope you return the 'Red's Handy Dandy Marker, which he had all times' (did i type it right?) You're a very talented writer! keep it up! :D

**Answer: *Red's Handy Dandy BLACK Marker, which he has at all times.**

Advanceforever

Oh my god I just love this story! The advanceshippy parts are just so adorable, update sooner this time though. As for the grass, does May hate it cause of a certain grass head, seems possible.

**Answer: No. In an effort to make this story stand out from the usual 'Drew-Bashing Advanceshipping Fic', Drew will not appear in any way shape or form in this story. The hatred for grass was just to help the reader grasp just how weird May can be. **

readingforthelolzz

Will Kenny come walking through the door in the next chapter?

**Answer: No, but there will still be drama, so have no fear.**

JZuCuadra

um, what was up with the ice cream thing? just plain weird of you ask me

other than that, good chapter, and pikachu learning dig... sure, why not XD

**Answer: Lol the ice-cream thing is LOOSELY based off of a real life thing that happened to me in the process of writing the last chapter. I just felt like putting it in. And My Pikachu in FireRed knows Dig, which is where I got the idea from. And we all know Ash Ketchum always thinks outside the box.**

**Okay, here's chapter 5!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Tears

* * *

"May? _Ash?_ What are you two doing here?" asked Serena, startled.

"Ash and I were having some ice-cream. What are you and Red doing here?" asked May. She then stood up and whispered in Serena's ear, "Are you on a date?"

"No, we're not, but I could ask you the same thing. Are _you_ on a date?" whispered Serena back, pulling May aside.

"Nah, but I wouldn't mind going on a date with Ash. And _you_ shouldn't mind going on a date with Red!" whispered May with a fake pout.

Serena sighed. "We'll talk about this later."

Meanwhile, Ash and Red were having a silent conversation. Red looked at May, then at Ash, smiling. Ash smiled back sheepishly. Ash then glanced at Serena, then back to Red. He then pointed at Red, a questioning look on his face. Red sighed, waving off the subject. Ash took this as an "I'll tell you later."

Before Ash and Red could continue their silent communication, Serena and May turned towards to both of them.

"Is it okay if Red and I sit with you guys?" asked Serena.

"No problem. Red can sit next to Ash, and you can sit right here next to me, Serena." said May.

Red sat next to Ash, taking the seat closest to the window. Serena sat next to May, also taking a window seat. The four of them sat in an awkward silence. Red was mute, so speaking wasn't an option for him. Ash was experiencing the consequences of his ice-cream problem; a massive brain freeze. He was in too much pain to speak. May was occupied by her ice-cream. Serena wanted to speak, but couldn't think of anything to say. She prayed to Arceus, hoping that something would spark a conversation.

Her prayers were answered.

Ash's brain-freeze intensified, and he began to clutch his head in pain. Serena took this as the perfect opportunity to say something.

"Ash, what's wrong?"

"Uhhh... Brain. Ice-cream. uughhh AGONY." grumbled Ash, resting his head on the table.

Red looked at May and raised an eyebrow. May tilted her head in confusion, then smiled, realizing what Red was asking.

"I forced Ash to eat ice-cream and then he-"

May didn't finish, because Red erupted into silent laughter. He laughed for about 2 minutes straight. May and Serena looked at each other in confusion, while Ash was mumbling barely audible curses and insults to Red. When Red's laughing finally ceased, he took out his cell phone and went to his videos. He went to a video labeled, "Ice-Cream Ash". He selected it. Ash raised his head just in time to see Red's phone screen.

"Red don't you dare show them that vid-AARRGH..." moaned Ash, his head falling back down to the table.

Red ignored Ash and pressed "Play", beginning the video. He pointed the phone at an angle that allowed May and Serena to see it as well...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_The video began, revealing a younger Ash and Red at a birthday party. There were plenty of other people in the background as well. They were both standing, both staring at a cake that was in front of them. Written on the cake was "Happy 13th Birthday Red and Ash!". It was their party, and it was their cake. Both boys were staring at the cake hungrily, ready to devour it.  
_

_"Can we eat it now, Mom?" asked Ash impatiently, looking towards the camera. _

_"Hold on sweetie, you and Red have to blow out the candles first!" said Mrs. Ketchum, the person taking the video._

_Ash bent over and quickly blew out all the candles. When he blew out the candles, a sweet aroma entered his nose. Ash frowned as soon as he smelled it. He slowly stood up and looked towards the camera, a blank expression on his face.  
_

_"Mom. Why does this cake smell like...ice-cream?" asked Ash seriously._

_"Well that's because it's an ice-cream cake, dear." said Mrs. Ketchum.  
_

_In the background, Red could be seen smirking._

_"Mom, why would you buy an ice-cream cake? You know I can't eat it." said Ash sadly._

_"Ash, you'll be fine. I'm sure you've grown out of your little...problem." said someone in the background._

_Ash stared at the cake, fear evident all over his face. He and Red cut pieces of the cake for themselves and both sat down on chairs. While Red happily dug into his cake, Ash was shivering in fear. _

_"Ash." said Delia._

_"Y-yeah Mom?"_

_"Eat the cake."_

_"If I... snap, then it's your fault." said Ash to the camera._

_Ash gulped nervously, and grabbed his spoon. He scooped a small piece of ice cream and stared at it. He then took a deep breath and placed it in his mouth. Red was watching, with an excited smile on his face. Ash shuddered. His eyes widened._

_"Oh no... I thought he'd have grown out of it by now..." said Mrs. Ketchum. "Somebody guard the cake! Ash is in ice-cream mode!"_

_Ash began to shove the rest of his cake in his mouth, at a beastly pace. Right next to Ash, Red could be seen laughing hysterically. Red's laughter quickly ceased when Ash finished his own slice of cake, and set his sights on Red's slice. Even though Red was stronger, he couldn't stop Ash from tossing him aside and devouring his slice of cake._

_Once Red's cake was out of the equation, Ash dashed over to the whole cake, which was being guarded by a close family friend, Brock Harrison.  
_

_"Ash, I won't let you get to the cak- AAAAGGGHHHHH!" cried Brock as Ash, with a running start, headbutted Brock in the stomach. _

_Brock fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. Ash then let out a maniacal laugh._

_"ICE-CRRREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMM!" hollered Ice-Cream Ash. He then smashed his face into the cake, destroying it. _

_Ice-cream splattered everywhere, a lot of it landing on Delia. Ash slowly turned to the camera, pure ice-cream insanity etched in his eyes.  
_

_"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE-CREEEEEAAAAAAMMMM!" roared Ash, rushing towards the camera._

_"Uh-oh." said Delia. The video then abruptly ends.  
_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

When the video ended, Red was smiling, Serena was horrified, and May was laughing. Ash was still face down on the table, groaning in both pain and embarrassment.

"Hahahaha, oh man, Ash," said May, fighting back tears of laughter, "why didn't you tell me you go on ice-cream rampages? If you told me, we would have went somewhere else!"

"I tried to tell you, but you didn't let me speak... I've been working on controlling it, but obviously I haven't been working hard enough." said Ash, his brain-freeze finally weakening.

"Well you've clearly been working on it, because you weren't nearly as bad today as you were in that video." said May, taking Ash's hat off his head so she could mess his hair up, as if it wasn't messy already.

"M-my hat! Give it back!" said Ash a smile forming on his face.

"Nope!" giggled May, using one hand to lift the hat in the air, while the other hand was used to keep Ash away. Eventually May got out of her seat and ran around the parlor, Ash chasing her around.

Serena watched Ash and May fool around, a small smile on her face. She could see that they were perfect for each other. She was truly happy for her sister, as not many boys seemed to like her because of her unusual personality. It was fairly obvious that Ash had a large crush on May. The evidence was everywhere, the strongest piece being the fact that Ash blushed whenever he was next to May.

_"I hope he asks her out soon..." _thought Serena.

Her eyes then trailed down to the table, as she began to think about her own love life.

_"I'm happy for May... but what about me? No matter what I do... Kenny never notices me. It seems like he's always trying to impress May and... not me. I've been waiting for years, hoping that one day he'll see me as more than just a close friend. Why can't he see that I love him? I've turned down so many guys, thinking that it'll all pay off when Kenny asks me out one day. But what if... what if he never does?"_

Serena found her eyes wandering towards Red, who was looking at her. He had a worried expression on his face. At first Serena wondered why Red looked so concerned, but she realized why. She felt it. Rolling down her face was a single tear. She was weeping. And Red noticed.

"I'm fine Red. Really." said Serena in a hushed tone, not wanting Ash or May to notice.

Red was not convinced. Red took off his hat, revealing his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times (yes, he keeps it under his hat). He then took a napkin from the center of the table and began to draw on it. Once the drawing was finished, he showed it to Serena. It was a funny drawing of Ash. Ash had spiky teeth and his eyes were going in two opposite directions. He was pouring ice-cream in his mouth with a snow shovel. Serena couldn't help but laugh at the drawing. It was hilarious. Red laughed along too, happy that he could cheer Serena up.

Mid laughter, Red saw something out of the corner of his eye. His laughing came to a sharp halt as he looked outside. He was sure he had seen a flash go off. He looked at where he thought he saw it, but found nothing. He then looked at Serena, who was also looking outside.

"Hey Red... Did you see something?" asked Serena.

Red nodded.

"It was a small flash of light, right?" asked Serena.

Red nodded again.

"I saw it too... I wonder what it was." said Serena.

"Hello, may I take your order?" asked the waiter, who had just noticed that Red and Serena were in the parlor.

"Oh, I almost forgot that we came here for ice-cream just like May and Ash." said Serena. "I'll have chocolate. chocolate everything."

"So chocolate ice-cream, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup and chocolate sprinkles?" asked the waiter.

"I'll also have a double-chocolate cookie on the side." said Serena with a smile.

Serena looked at Red, who was amazed by all the... _Chocolate. _

_"_What?" asked Serena. "I like chocolate."

"What would you like sir?" asked the waiter.

"He'll have chocolate ice-cream. Red loves everything chocolate." said Ash, returning to the table with May, wearing Ash's hat, not too far behind. They both seemed to be out of breath. Since Ash's hat was on May's head, it was clear Ash lost the battle for his hat.

The waiter nodded his head and decided to give Red the same thing Serena ordered. He then left, leaving the group of four alone.

"Huh, what a coincidence," started May with a sly smile. "Serena is _obsessed_ with chocolate! You guys are a great pair of chocolate lovers!"

If looks could kill, May would have spontaneously combusted by then, as Serena was giving her an intense death-glare. May noticed and responded with a friendly smile. Serena was just about ready to choke May. As May sat down next to Serena, Serena harshly pulled May aside.

"May and I are going to the bathroom, we'll be right back." said Serena with a smile.

May followed her, a smug smile on her face. Once they reached the women's bathroom, Serena closed the door behind them and put her hands on her hips.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Serena.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." said May with a mischievous smile.

"You know exactly what you're doing. You're implying that Red and I become a couple!" said Serena through gritted teeth.

"How was I doing that?" said May, feigning innocence.

"'A great pair of chocolate lovers'? take out the word 'chocolate', and you have 'A great pair of lovers'! You did that on purpose!" said Serena.

"Maybe it was on purpose, maybe it wasn't. What do you care?" asked May.

"You know that I don't _like _like Red! Stop trying to put us together!" growled Serena.

"If you don't like Red, why are you getting ice-cream with him?" asked May.

Serena paused.

"I'm waiting for an answer." said May.

"He... saved me."

"Oh yes, just give me the most vague answer you can think of. I totally know what you mean by 'save', because I'm psychic like that." said May sarcastically.

Serena glared at May before continuing. "I was rollerblading down the street. I was too busy daydreaming to realize that a car was coming. Long story short, Red saved my life by pushing me out of the way."

"HE SAVED YOUR LIFE?!"

"Shhhhh..." hushed Serena. "...Yeah, he did."

"How can you not love him?! You broke his heart YESTERDAY, and sent the shattered remains into the bottomless pit known as the Friend-Zone! Even with all that pain, he still loved you enough to save you! I'm honestly surprised he's able to be in the same room as you right now, as he must be dying on the inside! Serena, ice-cream is not going to make up for what he's gone and is going through! I highly doubt Kenny would do the same if he was in Red's shoes!" said May furiously.

"Don't bring Kenny into this." snapped Serena.

"Why? Red's twice the man Kenny will ever be." said May, arms folded.

"You are so infuriating!" yelled Serena.

"Why? I'm just telling you like it is. Red would treat you 100x better than Kenny would, and you know it. You've turned down so many good guys because of 1. your high standards which Kenny doesn't even meet half of, and 2. because of this stupid dream you have that Kenny will one day stop drooling over me like a pig and fall for you! Red is everything you need in a guy, but you're too blinded by your stupid 'love' for Kenny to see it!" said May.

"There is absolutely nothing between Red and I, and there never, _**EVER **_will be!" shouted Serena, tears building up in her eyes. She then opened the door to leave the bathroom...

* * *

Ash waited for Serena and May to be out of sight. As soon as they were, a large smile appeared on his face.

"You're the greatest brother in the whole fucking world!" he hollered.

Red tilted his head in question.

"Your plan was a success! First of all, you got Battle Day moved to today! Then I was able to impress May by kicking Trip's ass in a battle! And as a reward, she took me out for ice-cream! LIFE IS GOOD, AND YOU'RE AN AWESOME BROTHER!"

Red smiled as he gave Ash a thumbs up.

"So, how did you and Serena end up here?" asked Ash.

Red's face went from relaxed to serious. He took a deep breath and then proceeded to perform a series of hand gestures and motions only Ash could understand. Ash nodded his head when Red had finished the gestures.

"So, let me get this straight:" started Ash. "You were sent by Mom to go buy some milk because I was busy. On the way you encountered a girl who was rollerskating absentmindedly. A car was coming, and she had no idea. You ran over and saved her. You then learned that this girl was Serena. After a few questions and other words, she invited you to get some ice-cream with her. And that's how the two of you ended up here, right?"

Red nodded.

"Wow... Well, don't give up Red. The fact that she brought you here must mean she's somewhat fond of you. And I'm sure saving her life will give some bonus points."

A small, hopeful smile appeared on Red's face. Maybe Ash was right. Maybe if he played his cards right, he really might have another chance. Red began to think of all the things that he could do to make Serena fall in love with him. He was getting excited. But, all the excitement came with a price. Red had the sudden uncontrollable urge to use the bathroom. He, as politely as possible, shoved Ash out of the way, dashing for the bathroom.

He was about to enter the men's bathroom, when he heard what sounded like May and Serena's voices coming from the women's bathroom. Curious, Red approached the door.

"...but you're too blinded by your stupid 'love' for Kenny to see it!"

That sounded like May.

What Red heard next made his heart sink.

"There is absolutely nothing between Red and I, and there never, _**EVER **_will be!"

That was Serena's voice.

Red felt nothing. He didn't even feel hurt. He just felt empty. It was bad enough that Serena didn't love him. He accepted that. He had come to terms with that. But to think that _Kenny_ was the one she loved... It was depressing to say the least. Deciding that he had heard enough, Red turned away towards the mens bathroom. But...

* * *

Serena's teary eyes widened. Standing right by the door was Red. She looked into his eyes and saw nothing. No sadness, no anger, no grief. Just emptiness. Before Serena could even say anything, Red calmly walked away, not even acknowledging her existence.

"Red wait! She didn't mean it!" called May, chasing after Red.

This left Serena alone in the bathroom. The tears fell. And fell. And fell. In each tear, there was a variety emotions. Stress, Guilt, Anger, Confusion and Sadness.  
The most prominent one being Guilt. She had broken Red. Again. Each of May's words stung her deeply. And the truth behind many of May's words only made the pain dig even deeper. Kenny would never love her, would he? She had made it fairly obvious countless times that she was romantically interested in him, but he never paid it any mind. Even when he was dating Dawn, his eyes were always on May.

May. As much as Serena hated to admit it, May was right about everything. Serena had rejected so many boys, the latest being Red, who was the sweetest of them all. Red didn't deserve any of the pain she had caused. He had simply fallen for her, and who's fault was that? No one's. Her inner guilt grew every second she stood crying in the bathroom.

_"Wh-what will I do th-though..." _thought Serena. _"I can't just stop l-liking Kenny and force myself to love R-red... Love doesn't work that w-way... But he deserves a chance though. Maybe if I get to know him better..."_

Serena's tears began to slow down.

"M-maybe I should go find him and apologize..." thought Serena aloud, wiping the remaining tears off her face. She then walked over to the mirror by the sink and looked at herself. Her eyes were red and puffy from her tears, and her make up was messy. "But first, I have to go home and clean myself up."

* * *

Ash was very confused to see an emotionless Red jog out of the parlor, with a sad looking May following soon after. He watched confusedly as they ran down the street.

"What the heck...Where are they going?"

"Here are the two meals, sir." said the waiter, arriving with Red and Serena's ice-cream. "Where are the people who ordered these?"

"Oh, um, one stepped out for... some fresh air, and the other one's in the bathroom." said Ash.

The waiter nodded in understanding and walked off. Ash's reply to the waiter reminded him that Serena was still in the parlor. She was in the bathroom. Maybe she knew why Red and May ran out. Ash stood up from his seat. But as soon as he stood, Serena emerged from the bathroom and hurriedly walked out of the parlor, leaving just Ash there.

"What the?! Serena wait up!" called Ash and he tried to go after her.

But he couldn't, as someone was holding his arm.

"Sir, you cannot leave without paying."

"Oh, sorry, how much is it?" asked Ash, pulling out his wallet.

"For all four of you, $28.00." said the waiter.

"TWENTY EIGHT DOLLARS FOR ICE-CREAM?! I only have 24 dollars with me!"

"Then it seems you'll have to pay off those $4 in work then. You can start by wiping down all these tables. Here's your spray bottle and cloth. When you're finished, scrape the gum off the bottoms of the tables. You can leave after that." said the waiter, handing Ash the cleaning supplies.

Ash stared at the cleaning supplies that were placed in his hands, stupefied.

"Why me?" asked Ash to himself as he miserably wiped down a table.

* * *

_*Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*_

"Who is it?"

"Just open the damn door, Kenny."

Recognizing the voice, Kenny opened the door. Standing in front of him was his long time friend, Trip. He had his camera in hand.

"What do you want Trip? You can't stay too long, I'm expecting someone." said Kenny impatiently.

"Is that 'someone' you're expecting Serena by any chance?" asked Trip.

"Yeah, it is. She wanted to hang out with me. Again." said Kenny.

"She's not coming."

"What do you mean 'she's not coming.'?"

Trip turned on his camera and went through the pictures saved on it. When he found the one he was looking for, he showed it to Kenny. It was a picture of Red and Serena laughing in an ice-cream parlor, with Ash and May running around in the background.

"I was walking around town when I saw them. I thought that you'd want to know, so I took a picture. Red almost caught me too. That mute ass noticed the flash from my camera." grumbled Trip.

Kenny was still looking at the picture. Sure, he was a little annoyed that Serena had ditched him for Red, but he didn't care that much. Serena wasn't as important to him as a certain brunette was. And it angered him to see that certain brunette running around in the background of the picture with Ash Ketchum. _Ash. Ketchum._

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" asked Kenny, roughly returning Trip's camera. "He's got some serious balls to play around with her... Ketchum will shit himself when I'm through with him."

"Which one? They're twins dumbass." said Trip.

"Ash." said Kenny venomously.

"_Ash? _Why Ash? He was just running around with- Oh shit, you like May?!"

"Always have."

"We've been friends for 3 years, and I've just learned this... Whatever. What about Dawn?"

"Fuck Dawn." snapped Kenny. "Part of the reason she dumped me was because of how often I checked out May."

"Oh. So what are you going to do him?"

"I'm going to give him a talk."

* * *

Once Ash had done enough work to pay off the ice-cream bill, his next task was to find everyone. After 10 minutes of brainstorming, Ash had come up with a plan of action. He was going to look for Red first. If his memory served him correctly, Red had to go buy milk for their mother, which meant that Red was probably at the Super Market. And since May followed him out, she was probably there too. As for Serena, maybe Red or May would know about her whereabouts.

Ready to scold everyone for leaving him with the bill, Ash set out for the Super Market. The sun was setting, and Ash wanted to find Red before dark. Their mother would be worried sick if they came home late for dinner. So Ash decided it would be best to jog to the Super Market, saving time. Ash's poor health made the jog seem hours long, when it was actually 8 minutes long. But little did he know, a certain honey-blonde girl had followed him.

Out of breath, Ash arrived at the Super Market. He walked in, and it didn't take long to find a soulless looking Red strolling down the dairy isle, a large carton of milk in hand. He was facing in Ash's direction, but had no reaction to his brother's arrival. Following close behind Red was a worried looking May, who was trying to break Red from his emotionless state. She was still wearing Ash's hat. Her back was turned towards Ash, so she didn't see him.

"Red, Serena's just confused. She doesn't know what she wants right now. I promise you that in the end, she'll realize she wants you! Please, stop being so... so empty!" pleaded May.

Red did not pay her any attention whatsoever.

"Reddddd! Answer meeeee!" begged May, softly jabbing his arm.

"What the hell happened?!" roared a livid Ash, approaching Red and May. He then placed his hand out, signalling May to return his hat to him. She did just that, and with that, he continued his rant. "You all go to the bathroom, and whoop-dee-freaking-doo, 5 minutes later, I am ditched with a TWENTY EIGHT DOLLAR BILL! I had to clean that God-forsaken parlor to pay off the money I wasn't able to give them! I scraped 43 pieces of gum off the bottoms of the tables; I COUNTED!"

While Red just stared at Ash, May nervously smiled, scratching the back of her head. "Heheh... we're really sorry about that... I'll explain everythin-"

"I'll explain." said a new voice.

Ash and May turned around, to see where to voice came from. Red did not turn around, as he was already facing the person. His facial expression finally changed. His face went from plain to annoyed. The person entering the conversation was Serena. But Red was not the only one that did not look happy to see Serena. May looked like she was about to explode. The only one who wasn't glaring at Serena was Ash, who just stood there confused, wondering why Red and May were so unhappy with Serena's presence.

"What are _you _doing here?" asked May angrily. "Don't you think you've already done enough damage, meanie?"

Serena payed no attention to May's words and turned to Ash.

"Ash, I speak for the three of us when I say that I'm so sorry that we left you at the parlor. We didn't mean to, but certain things happened that caused us to leave the parlor. I promise it won't happen again."

"Hmph. Apology accepted." said Ash to May, Red and Serena. "But I want to know what happened."

"I'll tell you that too." said Serena calmly. "May and I went to the bathroom to talk, and it escalated to an argument. It was a stupid argument, in which May was the voice of reason. At some point, Red heard part of the argument, along with the stupid, harsh words I said. Red left immediately after, and May followed him. After a minute or two of thinking about the severity of what I did, I left also."

"Well what 'stupid, harsh words' did you say?" asked Ash.

"Yeah Serena, what 'stupid, harsh words' _did_ you say?" asked May, hands on her hips.

"Horrible, _horrible_ words that I wish I never said." said Serena, turning to Red, her eyes already watering. "I am _so_ sorry Red. So, so sorry. I've been a real bitch to you since we've met, while you've been nothing but kind. I've come to realize that I've been pretty stupid when it comes to certain choices I've made in the past few years... Red, please don't listen to the words you heard me say in that bathroom. I was wrong, and I was stupid. I _do_ want to be your friend, and maybe somewhere along the road, something more. I have May to thank for helping me realize that. If you don't want to be near me, I understand. I get it. I wouldn't want to be around me either. But for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

By the end of her touching monologue, tears were already freely flowing down Serena's face. May had already forgiven her sister, and was speechless, touched by the amount of emotion put into Serena's apology. Ash was equally as touched. Red no longer looked annoyed. During the apology, Red's face slowly turned back to his emotionless state. Serena's face saddened as she looked into his eyes. They were still emotionless. Then for a split second, emotion returned to Red's eyes, and Serena seized the opportunity. Before Red could even blink, She gave him a hug, burying her face into his chest.

"I'm sorry." sobbed Serena, her voice muffled.

May and Ash looked at Red, who was no longer soulless. His face was calm and relaxed, a small smile creeping on his face. He nodded his head at Ash and quickly motioned his head towards the milk he was holding. Ash hurriedly scurried over and took the milk from Red, giving Red the chance to hug Serena back.

At the feeling of being hugged back, Serena's teary eyes widened, and she removed her face from Red's shirt, looking up at him. She was met with a warm smile from Red. Serena buried her face in Red's chest again, this time crying tears of joy. May and Ash both watched, happy that Serena and Red were finally friends. But dinner time was approaching, and neither May nor Ash were the type of people who could skip dinner.

"Alright, alright," said May, walking over to Serena. "Serena, as much as I'd love to give you more time with Red, it's almost dinner time. Mom and Dad's heads are going to explode if we're late."

"Same for us, Red." said Ash.

Serena and Red knew that their siblings were right. As great as it would be for them to have fun with their new friendship, they had to go. Reluctantly, Red pried Serena off of him. With a smile on her face, Serena stretched out a hand.

"Friends?" she asked Red.

Red smiled and nodded, shaking her hand.

"C'mon Serena! Let's go, food awaits us! Bye Red! Bye Ash!" said May, pulling Serena away.

"Bye Red! I'll see you tomorrow!" called Serena.

Red and Ash smiled and waved goodbye. Then, there was silence. Then, without warning, Red bear hugged Ash, lifting him off the ground.

"Gahh! Get off of me!" laughed Ash. "Put me down! We have to buy the milk and go home!"

Red released Ash, a huge smile on his face. He quickly nodded his head and skipped towards the front of the store. Ash smiled and followed Red to the front of the store.

_30 minutes later..._

Ash and Red sat in their room, waiting for dinner to be ready. Ash was studying, while Red was laying on his bed, bouncing a small rubber ball back and forth off the wall. It was a comfortable silence.

"Ash! Red! One of your friends is here to talk to you!" called Mrs. Ketchum.

Ash and Red both paused their activities.

"A friend? Red, are you expecting anyone?" asked Ash.

Red shook his head.

"Neither am I..." said Ash. He then shrugged his shoulders. "Send them up Mom!"

Expecting Gary, or one of Ash's Computer Club friends, Ash and Red were incredibly surprised to see _Kenny _enter their room. Red immediately sat up, his whole body tense.

"Calm down, idiots. I'm here to talk." said Kenny, arms folded.

"About what?" spat Ash.

"About the Maple twins." retorted Kenny.

"What about them?" asked Ash.

Kenny walked up to Ash.

"I want you two to stay away from them." he said venomously. He then looked Ash dead in the eye. "Especially you. I don't want you anywhere near May."

Red snorted and just turned the other way, gaining more interest in the paint on the walls than Kenny. Ash was fuming.

"Fuck you, you can't tell me what to do." said Ash boldly.

Both Kenny's and Red's eyes widened at Ash's bold statement. Kenny pulled his fist back to punch Ash, but he realized it would be a bad idea to do that in Ash's own house. So he lowered his fist, grunted, and turned to leave. But before he left, he gave Ash and Red one final statement.

"Serena and May are MINE. If I see either of you dickheads near them again, you'll regret it."

Kenny stomped his way out of the Ketchum residence. Once again, there was silence in Ash and Red's room. After a few minutes, Ash finally spoke up.

"Fuck Kenny!"

* * *

Serena laid alone in her room. Dinner was over, and Serena, May and Max had retreated to their rooms. Serena laid in her bed, a satisfied smile on her face. The day was quite eventful, and she was exhausted. But despite her tiredness, she couldn't fall asleep. Her excitement to see her latest friend, Red, at school tomorrow was keeping her awake. Deciding that talking about it will probably help, Serena got out of bed and quietly walked over to May's room, which was across the hall.

Serena slowly opened the door to May's room, to find May...well, being May. She was sitting at her homework desk playing with a yo-yo while watching a horror movie on her laptop. Serena rolled her eyes, not surprised by her sister's odd activities. May, noticing that someone was in her room, paused the movie and turned her head to see who it was. Once she saw who it was, she resumed her movie.

"Hey. Can't sleep?" said May.

"Yeah." said Serena.

"I'm gonna go out on a whim here and say that you're excited to see Red, and you can't sleep because you're all fired up?"

"Yes."

"Oh lord, you're _definitely_ crushing on him." said May, her eyes not leaving her laptop's screen.

"I don't know if I'd say that yet... But he's definitely special." said Serena dreamily.

"Mmmmmhm. If you can't fall asleep, try drinking some of this." said May, opening a drawer in her desk. She pulled out a small box and tossed it to Serena.

Serena caught the box and looked at it.

"Chamomile Tea?" read Serena aloud.

"Yeah. That stuff puts me to sleep in minutes."

"Thanks." said Serena.

May, still watching the horror movie, gave Serena a thumbs up. Serena smiled and stood up to leave. When she reached the doorway, she paused.

"May, thanks for... talking some sense into me. You were right about everything."

May paused her movie and put down her yo-yo. She then turned around and looked at Serena. "What do you mean?"

"You know... about Kenny and the Ketchums."

"No problemo. I'm your older sister, I always know what's best for you." said May with a smirk.

"Oh shut up, we're twins. You're only older than me by 7 minutes. And everyone thinks I'm older anyway because of how mature I am."

"7 minutes or 7 years, it doesn't matter. I'm older." said May, trying to start a silly argument with Serena.

"I'm not arguing over something stupid like this. Goodnight." said Serena, leaving the room.

"Serena wait!" called May. Serena waited. "Where are we sitting for lunch tomorrow?"

"Is it even a question?" chuckled Serena. "With the Ketchums of course."

* * *

**Okay, that's that. Serena has finally given in. Her actual personality from the show will start to come out now that she's comfortable with Ash and Red. Next chapter skips a month or two, so Ash, Red, May, and Serena will all be a lot closer to each other next chapter. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Review as you see fit!**

**~DarkSlash9**


	6. Frights

**Hey! Be prepared, this chapter will be pretty lengthy. As for how long, I dunno, but it'll be long. It's also more on the romantic side, but there will still be some humor thrown in there.  
**

**Q&A:**

Foreveralone28 chapter 5 . Apr 6

oh, hehe. I was purely shocked when i saw my name back there! but anyways, thanks for correcting me! :D by the way i loved this chapter but wait, KENNY! KENNY LIKES MAY?! Okay, this is kinda hard to process...KENNY?! From all the people you put in, KENNY?! Not that i hate him or anything...but KENNY! okay, i said too much of...kenny... so awkward...

**Answer: Yeah, Kenny likes May. As for why I chose Kenny... I like being random. **

Qruis chapter 5 . Apr 5

Okay... that explains the "ice-cream-rush"...  
Just a question... Why the next chapter skips "a mont or two"?  
Taking that apart it was fun to see how Red's life goes away. Again.  
Keep it up!

**Answer: Read the chapter and find out. :)**

13TheAce

Talk about a roller coaster of emotion for Red. Felt sad for him, then he bear hugged Ash and I was happy. Thank you Serena for finally growing a brain! Unfortunately, now we have Kenny. Is he same size as in the anime? Or did I miss him getting bulkier?

**Answer: He's the same size, but he's strong. Stronger than Ash.**

**Okay, I think that's it. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own pokeymans.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Frights

* * *

"Serena, you have no idea how super-duper-mega-awesome tonight is gonna be."

"Yes, I do. I was there when we planned it, in case you forgot."

It was October 31st. Halloween. Two months had passed since that day at the ice-cream parlor. In those two months, so much had changed in the lives of Serena and May Maple. Serena and Red had become nearly inseparable, always being seen with one another. May and Ash, if possible, were even closer than Serena and Ash were. The group of four visited eachother's houses frequently, their families becoming friends.

But their new friendships did not come without a price. They were often pestered by Kenny, who Serena had cut out of her life. But none of them let Kenny's antics get to them. But that didn't mean Kenny gave up. But there was no way his annoying acts could get in the way of the fun May and Serena were going to have with Ash and Red that night.

They had planned it for weeks. Instead of trick-or-treating, they were going to the outskirts of Pallet Town, which was an open grassland filled with tall grasses and cornfields. Every year on Halloween night, the town's volunteers would create a "haunted" maze in the cornfield. Lurking around in the maze were people in ghost costumes and other scary things. And to top it all off, whichever team of two finds the "Magical Pumpkin" in the center of the maze would win a 100% free meal at the restaurant of their choice. All in all, it was going to be a fun night, and May couldn't wait.

But unfortunately, school wasn't over yet.

"We're gonna have so much funnn!" squealed May, as she walked down the school hallway, Serena right next to her.

"May, calm down. School isn't over yet." giggled Serena. "We still have 9th period left. Once that's over, then you can be all jumpy."

"Oh fine. I'm sure _you're_ excited too. You and Red. Alone in a dark maze. Oooooooohh!~~" said May, saying the last part in a sing-song voice.

"Sh-shut up!" stuttered Serena, blush forming on her face. "Wh-what about you? You and Ash are gonna be together in the maze too!"

"So? I've already admitted to you that I like Ash a couple days ago. You, on the other hand, are still denying your crush on Red." said May with a grin.

"I d-don't have a crush on him... Not at all!" said Serena, blushing even more.

"You're blushing." said May.

"That proves nothing!"

"Whatever, I have to go to Spanish class now. Goodbye, Mrs. Denial." said May, leaving.

"Bye." muttered Serena.

May then turned in another direction, leaving Serena to walk to her next class. Having no one to talk to, Serena's mind drifted into a subject that it thought of quite frequently: Red.

_"I can't wait for tonight... alone time with Red is the best. He's such a great person to be around..." _thought Serena with the smallest of smiles on her lips.

Despite her words, Serena in fact, _did _have a small crush on Red. She just refused to let May know. It wasn't that she didn't trust May, of course not; they were twin sisters, she trusted May more than anyone. But Serena simply wasn't an open book like May was. She preferred to keep some things to herself, and her growing romantic interest in Redwood Ketchum was just one of those things.

* * *

Ash Ketchum watched the clock intensely. Just 6 more minutes, and 9th period would end, allowing him to go home and prepare for the awesome night he, Red, Serena, and May had planned.

_"I swear, this clock must be moving in slow motion or something." _thought Ash impatiently. He adjusted his glasses and cracked his knuckles. Two things he only did when he was losing his patience.

Out of everyone in Pallet Town, Ashton Ketchum had changed the most in the past two months. His braces had been removed, revealing a smile that rivaled Red's. Puberty had hit his vocal cords like a missile, turning his voice into one of the deepest voices in the school. His self-esteem and confidence had risen, along with his ability to control his blushing around May. Even with all these upgrades, Ash was still able to maintain his geeky personality and messy hairdo that May adored so much.

There he sat in Advanced-Placement Human Biology, his final class of the day. Ash's attention was solely on the clock, and soon, his teacher noticed.

"Mr. Ketchum, a recurrent acute and chronic inflammation and thrombosis of arteries and veins of the hands and feet is a symptom of what dis-"

"Thromboangiitis Obliterans." said Ash, his eyes still on the clock.

The teacher glared at Ash, annoyed that Ash answered the question correctly even though he wasn't paying attention. Ash smiled at the teacher, aware of what the teacher tried to do. Being the smartest kid in the school really came in handy sometimes. Ash glanced at Serena, his lab partner. Her eyes were also glued to the clock.

_"Looks like I'm not the only one who's excited for tonight." _thought Ash.

In the past two months, Ash and Serena's friendship grew the least. Sure, they spoke, but they were no where near as close as Ash was with May or Serena was with Red. Even Red and May were closer than Ash and Serena were. But they still considered eachother as friends, though the only time they had full conversations was when they had to complete a biology experiment.

_Ring! Ring!_

Finally, the bell had rung, signalling the end of the school day. Ash was the first person out of the room, followed by Serena.

"Bye Serena." said Ash as he turned to leave.

"Wait Ash," called Serena. Ash turned around, an eyebrow raised. "Could you and Red come to our house at 5:30?"

"Ummm sure. Why though?" asked Ash, puzzled by Serena's odd request. "I thought we all planned on meeting up at 6:30."

"May's too excited. I think waiting til 6:30 will kill her." said Serena with a smile. "And besides, you guys coming at 5:30 gives us all more time to hang out together."

"Oh, okay. Later." said Ash, leaving.

"Bye." said Serena.

Ready to go home, Ash walked upstairs to the boys bathroom, where he and Red met after school every day. When he arrived, as expected, Red was there waiting for him. The brothers greeted eachother and left the school, heading home.

On their walk home, Ash and Red passed Kenny's house. Ash couldn't help but feel a pair of eyes watching him as he passed the house. He glanced over and saw Kenny in a window, staring. If Kenny's facial expression could be manifested into words, it would be "I hate you.". Ash glared back, letting Kenny know the feeling was mutual.

Red noticed what was going on and sighed. With one hand he turned Ash's head away from Kenny, ending their heated staring contest.

"What?" asked Ash defensively.

Red sighed and pulled out his handy dandy black marker, which he had at all times. He then pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket and wrote on it. After his message was complete, he folded the paper and tossed it at Ash's face. The paper bounced off Ash's face and landed in his hand. Ash unfolded it and read it.

_"Do not give him a reason to mess with us tonight. You know how he is. The smallest thing (like STARING HIM IN THE EYE ANGRILY) will set him off and make him form another stupid plan to get May and Serena to stop talking to us. And I'd rather have our plans for tonight go undisturbed. Don't you agree?"_

"Yeah, you're right..." said Ash. He looked up to see that he and Red had already arrived at their own home. "Let's get our homework done quick. We have to be at May and Serena's house an hour earlier than planned."

* * *

"Serena! Where's my orange bandana?!" hollered May.

"I don't know, probably with the rest of your collection. Where's my orange and black hat?" asked Serena in response.

"I dunno, probably with the 100 other hats you own!" replied May with sass.

The Maple house was in chaos. Max was out trick-or-treating, and Mr. and Mrs. Maple were still at work, leaving Serena and May alone in the house. It was 5:24. Ash and Red were to be there any minute, and Serena and May were still dressing up. May was tearing the house apart in search of her orange bandana, while Serena was calmly searching her room for her hat. Serena rolled her eyes as she heard May accidentally break a lamp in the living room.

"Oops." squeaked May.

_"Sometimes I wonder if we're really the same age..."_ thought Serena as she checked under her bed to reveal the hat that she was looking for. She smiled and put it on, her outfit complete.

With nothing else to do, Serena walked to the living room, to see a panicked May. May paid no mind to Serena's entrance and continued to destroy the living room in search of her bandana.

"Why is this such a big deal anyway?" asked Serena, dodging a cushion that was accidentally thrown at her. "Here's some advice: Go without a bandana."

May abruptly paused and slowly turned her head, pure surprise written on her face.

"Are you crazy?! Ash has never seen me without a bandana on!"

"So...?"

"I must have one on when around Ash at all times!"

"And why is that?"

"That's just the way it is!"

"Then why not just wear another orange bandana? You have tons of them."

"No! It has to be this one! It has cute little jack-o-lanterns on it!"

"Well hurry up and find it." said Serena, looking at her phone. "Because Red just sent me a text saying that they'll be here in 2 minutes."

"NONONONONONOOOOO!" cried May as she ran upstairs, leaving the living room a mess.

Serena looked around, seeing all the damage May had done. She sighed and started cleaning it up. But it wasn't long before Ash and Red arrived. The door bell rung, and Serena looked herself over in the mirror one last time before opening the door. The door was opened to reveal Ash and Red, both smiling, with bags of candy in their hands.

"Hey Ash, Hi Red." said Serena. Though she greeted them both, she was looking at Red the whole time. Her eyes then wandered down to the large bag of candy Red was holding. Her mouth immediately watered. "Ar-Are those Hershey ch-chocolate bars?"

Red nodded and gave her the bag.

"YIPEEEEEEEEEE!" squealed Serena, jumping around. She then hugged Red tightly. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!"

A hug from Serena always had the same response from Red. First a blush, then a grin, then a smug "you're totally jealous" look towards Ash. Ash ignored Red's annoying smile and looked around. May was nowhere in sight.

"Um, Serena, do you know where May is?"

"She's upstairs, in frantic search of her Halloween bandanna." said Serena, ending her hug with Red.

"Can I go up?" asked Ash.

"...I think it would be safer if you called her down here." said Serena seriously.

"Ooooookay." said Ash, wondering what Serena meant by "safer". "May! It's me Ash! Come down; I have a surprise for you!"

Silence.

"May?" called Ash.

"I'm coming..." replied May in a depressed tone.

May slowly trudged down the stairs, upset over her missing bandana.

"Hi Ash..." said May.

"Hey May. Y'know, I've never seen you without a bandana on..." said Ash.

May froze in fear. Serena rolled her eyes.

"You look... pretty." said Ash, a small blush on his face.

May's frown turned into a large grin, type of grin a six year old has when they see their presents under their Christmas tree. Ash's shy smile turned into a scared frown, as he knew what was coming next. At the speed of light, May tackled Ash to the ground in one of her usual "hugs". Ash landed on the ground silently, accustomed to the pain that May's hugs often brought. While May and Serena weren't looking, Ash quickly looked at Red a gave him the same smug smile that Red always gave him. Red smirked and gave Ash the middle finger. Ash then turned to May, who was still hugging him.

"AND I WAS SAD BECAUSE I COULDN'T FIND MY BANDANA AND-"

"Umm, May, I've got you something."

"AND THEN I ACCIDENTALLY BROKE A LAMP, AND-"

"May!" said Ash.

"AND THEN SERENA GAVE ME STUPID ADVICE, AND-"

"MAY!" called both Ash and Serena.

"Hm?" asked May innocently.

"I brought you some candy." said Ash.

"You did?" asked May, getting off of Ash.

"Yes." replied Ash, handing May the bag of candy. "You like Skittles right?"

"Kinda, I really only like the-" May opened the bag. "YELLOW ONES!"

Ash smiled, his plan a success. He had specially ordered a bag of Skittles that had nothing but yellow ones inside of it. May tackled Ash into another "hug", this one more painful than the last.

"Ouch." whispered Ash as May unintentionally suffocated him.

"May, I don't think Ash can breathe." said Serena, who was holding her large bag of chocolate bars as if it was a bag of gold.

"Hwha?" asked May, her mouth filled with yellow Skittles. She then looked down at Ash, who was gasping for air. She quickly hopped off of him. "Sowwy Asch."

"*breath* It's *gasp* okay..." wheezed Ash. "Now that *gasp* that's taken care *breath* of, I think it's about time we go."

"Yeah, Ash is right." said Serena, a chocolate bar hanging from her mouth as she spoke. "Let's go."

Serena walked outside, followed by Red, leaving only Ash and May in the house.

"Ready to go?" asked Ash.

"Wait." said May.

Words could not describe the pure surprise Ash felt when May got on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. Ash was at a loss for words, as he wasn't even sure if he was dreaming or not. The line between dream and reality seemed to blur at that moment. Slowly, he raised a hand to the spot that May had kissed. His wide eyes just blinked multiple times, his brain failing to comprehend what had just happened.

"That's my way of saying 'thanks' for the candy." giggled May as she skipped towards the door. "Now come on, let's go!"

Ash blinked a couple times and grinned, following May out the door.

_"This night is already perfect." _he thought.

* * *

"I fucking hate those Ketchums." said Kenny, punching a wall.

"Dude, calm down. You're about to pee your pants out of pure rage." said Trip.

"You're letting them drive you crazy." added Cress.

"Shut up, both of you." retorted Kenny.

Kenny was in his room, along with his friends Cress and Trip. He had just finished telling them about how he and Ash had a deadly staring contest earlier in the day. Trip was annoyed, as Kenny had been obsessing over the Maples and the Ketchums nonstop for that past two months. Cress didn't seem to mind, as he usually tuned Kenny out whenever he went on one of his anti-Ketchum tirades. But this time, in order to shut Kenny up, Cress spoke.

"I heard from my brother Cilan that Ash and Red are hanging out with Serena and May tonight." said Cress.

"You have a brother?" asked Trip.

"Yeah, two actually. Cilan and Chili." said Cress.

Trip raised an eyebrow. "But your hair is blue, Cilan's is green and Chili's is red. How the hell-"

"Hair dye." said Cress.

"I don't give a flying fuck about your unnatural hair colors!" interrupted Kenny. "Where are Ash and May going?"

"I think they're going to the Haunted Maze. You know, that maze in the cornfields the town creates every Halloween." replied Cress.

"Hmmm..." hummed Kenny.

"What are you going to do Kenny? This sounds super duper interesting!" asked Trip in mock excitement.

"You'll see..." said Kenny, walking out of the room, clearly not amused with Trip's sarcasm.

* * *

Finally, Ash, Red, Serena and May had arrived at their destination: The Pallet Town Haunted Maze.

"Good evening, and welcome to the Haunted Maze. How many of you dare to enter?" asked the cashier at the ticket booth. He was an old man in a grim reaper costume.

"Four." said Serena.

"Okay, that will be $12 young lady." said the cashier.

Ash, Red and Serena each pulled out three dollars, while May frantically searched her pockets. As Serena and Red handed their money to the cashier, Ash glanced at May, who was looking rather panicked.

"Are you okay?" asked Ash.

"Heheh... I might have forgotten my money at home..." said May quietly.

Don't worry, I have enough money to pay for both of us." said Ash with a smile.

"Thanks. I'll pay you back tomorrow."

"You don't have to." said Ash as he gave the cashier six dollars.

"What a kind deed." said the cashier with a wise old grin. "Is she your... what do you youngsters call them these days... Oh yes! Is she your girlfriend?"

Red and Serena weren't paying attention, as they were both daydreaming. But Ash and May were paying attention. Ash somehow choked on air, while May stuffed her face with yellow skittles to avoid answering the question. Once Ash finished coughing, he quickly glanced at May, who was staring at him intensely, waiting to see what he would say.

"Ummm... n-not dating, but more than the average friendship." said Ash, scratching the back of his head.

May was slightly bothered by Ash's response. She didn't know whether to be happy with it or not. While he did say they were more than friends, he also said that they weren't dating, which was the truth. But still, hearing Ash say they weren't dating bothered May. She shrugged it off, not wanting such a trivial thing to occupy her thoughts all night.

"More than the average friendship, eh? Heheh, if you say so... Follow me kids." said the cashier as he stepped out of the booth.

Ash and May followed him immediately, while Red and Serena followed. It was not a long walk, and within minutes they were at the entrance to the maze. Before letting the teens enter, the cashier cleared his throat.

"Alright kids, this is your stop. But before you go, there are a couple rules that you must follow."

"Rules?" asked Ash.

"Yes, rules." said the cashier. "Rule #1: Your only source of light will be the moon. You cannot use a fire type pokemon for light. Example: you can't use a Charmander's tail flame as a light source or anything. Any use of fire is a hazard. We don't want the cornfields and grasses catching fire while everyone's in them."

"M'kay." said May, nodding her head.

"Rule #2: You cannot use a flying type pokemon to fly overhead and lead you in the right direction. It ruins the whole idea of being lost in a maze." said the cashier.

"Gotcha." said Ash.

"And finally, Rule #3: you may only travel in groups of two. No more, no less. So have you decided who's going with whom?"

"Yes." the teens said as they approached their partners.

Ash walked towards May, a nervous smile on his face. May smiled back, her beautiful sapphire eyes staring directly at his intelligent brown ones. Ash couldn't stop staring at her eyes. They seemed to have that effect on him quite often. But the moment was short lived however, as May took the opportunity to snatch Ash's hat off his head, something she found pleasure in doing.

"Catch me if ya can!" hollered May as she dashed into the maze, Ash's hat in hand.

"H-hey! Wait up!" laughed Ash as he ran in after her.

As soon as Ash and May were out of sight, the cashier spoke.

"Those two are quite the interesting pair." he said.

"Yeah, they are." agreed Serena.

"Well then, since they're already gone, I assume you two are going together?"

Red nodded, and held his arm out for Serena to grab.

"Oh my, what a gentleman." giggled Serena as she linked her arm with Red's. "Let's go."

Serena and Red strolled into the maze, arm in arm. While Serena's exterior seemed calm, but inside, she was barely able to contain the joy, excitement, and anticipation she was experiencing. Red felt the same, but he was used to it, as he felt like that every time he was around the girl of his dreams.

* * *

15 minutes had passed since May and Ash's entrance into the Haunted Maze. Ash had caught May, but he let her wear his hat anyway. For some reason, seeing her wear his hat felt good to him. They had spent the last fifteen minutes talking, mainly about trivial things such as their favorite candies, holidays and etc. Every once in a while, someone in a poorly made costume would hop out and attempt to scare them. Ash didn't jump or yell or anything, but his eyes did twitch a bit whenever something jumped out unexpectedly. But May, on the other hand, was fearless. Being a big fan of horror movies, she was desensitized to scary things. So whenever something jumped out, not only did she not flinch, she ignored it completely.

They were still talking when Ash heard something nearby.

"Although I've never considered chocolate covered-"

"Shhh..." hushed Ash. "I think I heard something..."

Ash and May listened, and soon they heard voices.

"Ugh, Gary, we've been here like, 5 times already! We're going around in circles!" whined a voice that sounded like Dawn.

"Dawn, please, let Gary fucking Oak take care of this. We're not going around in circles. It's all part of my master plan." said Gary confidently.

"Hm, yeah, your _master plan." _said Dawn sarcastically.

"Yeah! I always have a plan! You're my girlfriend! You're supposed to support me!" said Gary.

"Yes, I'm your girlfriend, and I love you, but I won't support a plan that doesn't exist." said Dawn sassily.

"GARY FUCKING OAK ALWAYS HAS A PLAN! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Gary.

That was all that was heard, as Gary and Dawn's voices soon faded away.

"Damn, I never knew Gary and Dawn were dating. What are they doing here?" said Ash.

"Yeah, Gary asked her out a week ago. They're probably here on a... date..." said May.

And just like that, at the mention of the word 'date', the atmosphere around Ash and May turned into Teen Awkwardness. May and Ash spent the next few minutes in silence, both thinking the same thing: Were _they _on a date? They _were_ two _single _teens, and it was just the two of them.

They both blushed at the thought, but lucky for them, the moon was providing the only light, making the red on their cheeks barely visible. Ash's mind was on fire with the sudden desire to have May for himself. He felt a small shot of confidence. And in that shot of confidence, he decided it was time for him to make his move.

"So..." said Ash, breaking the long silence.

"So..?" replied May.

"Do you ahhhh... do you like anyone?" asked Ash, not making eye contact.

"Yeah, do you?" replied May.

"Yeah..." said Ash.

Another long silence fell upon them. But this time, May broke it.

"Who?" she asked.

"Who what?" asked Ash, acting as if he didn't know what May was talking about.

"Who do you like?" she asked plainly.

"Who do _I_ like?" asked Ash.

"Yeah, who do you like?"

"I can't tell you. It's a secret." said Ash, pausing his walking. His small burst of confidence was very short-lived. _"Shit. What the hell have I gotten myself into!?"_

"Why not? Don't you trust me?" replied May, who also stopped walking.

"It's not that I don't trust you... I just... _can't_ tell you..."

"Fine, then I won't tell you who I like!" said May with a smirk.

"Alright alright, if you can guess who I like, then I'll tell you."

"Can you give me some hints?" asked May with puppy eyes.

"F-fine." Ash took a deep breath. "She's gorgeous, amazing, kind, book-smart, lacks common sense at times, always knows how to make me feel better, and she has these amazing eyes that mesmerize me every time I look at them. She's one of the few girls that's ever taken the time to even notice me, and she's made a huge impact on my life since I met her. She's loving and caring to all, which is why I don't know if she likes me or not. She really makes me happy, and I'd do anything for her." said Ash.

"Wow. This girl must be really special to you." said May, blushing intensely. It sounded a lot like herself.

"Very special."

"Want some hints on who I like?"

"Okay..."

"He's really cool, really smart, and really nerdy. He may not be a badass all the time, but he has his moments. He's everything I need and more, and I show it to him everyday as much as I can without telling him my feelings. He gets straight A's in all of his classes, and enjoys playing video games just as much as I do. He has a certain piece of clothing that I can always identify him by, and I can spot his messy head of hair from a mile away. I love him with all my heart, and I'm 50% sure he feels the same way."

Ash gulped. It sounded a lot like himself. "I wonder who that lucky guy could be..."

"Yeah..." said May, stepping a little closer to Ash.

"I um, I think I want to tell you who I like now." said Ash, smiling softly. His warm brown eyes locked with her deep sapphire ones, causing the two to enter a world of their own.

"Who?" asked May, staring Ash directly in the eyes.

_"This is it. I'm gonna do it. Right here, right now. One small step for most guys, but one great leap for Ash Ketchum... Here goes..." _thought Ash, taking a deep breath.

_"OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES! THIS. IS. IT!" _thought May.

"I am in love with..."

* * *

"RAAWWWRR!" roared a man in a werewolf costume as he jumped into view.

"EEEEEEEK!" shrieked Serena as she jumped into Red's arms, shivering in fear.

Red smiled at the werewolf man, who looked a little guilty for what he had done. Red waved the werewolf guy off, assuring him that he was only doing his job and he shouldn't feel bad. The werewolf man got the message and walked off, looking for his next victims.

"R-Red, It's been 15 minutes... and I'm already sick of this!" wailed Serena into Red's chest.

Serena was nowhere near as comfortable with scary things as May was. She was quite the opposite actually. Serena was afraid of many things. Forests, horror movies, ghost stories, you name it, she was probably afraid of it to some extent. As a testament of her fearfulness, Serena had been afraid of the dark til she was 12 years old.

The only things keeping her sane at the moment was Red, and the chocolate bars he gave her. Red placed a comforting hand on Serena's shoulder. Serena smiled softly, enjoying Red's kindness.

"Red, can we hold hands?" asked Serena randomly.

Surprised by her random request, Red raised an eyebrow.

"It's just that I'm really _really_ scared, and I need something to hold on to." explained Serena. "Please?"

Red smiled and grabbed Serena's hand. To anyone else, it seemed like no big deal. But to Red, holding her hand meant the world. His unconditional love for her had not faded in the past two months. Instead he had learned to control it. But holding her hand was another thing completely.

Serena sighed in both relief and joy. While it was true that she wanted to hold Red's hand for comfort, she also had ulterior motives. Her crush on Red had taken over, and she wanted to hold his hand, simply because it made their situation much more romantic. As they walked, hand in hand, Serena stole a few glances at Red. He was handsome.

_"Those hazel eyes... his cream skin... his neat black hair... that smile... my lord, why didn't I see it all before? He's gorgeous! And his personality just makes me want to... well, KISS him! But... does he even like me anymore? I hope he does. Maybe I should ask him... No! That would be too straightforward!... Or will it? Screw it, I'm asking!"_

"Hey Red? I'm just a little curious..." started Serena, squeezing her grip on Red's hand a little. "do you still, um... do you still... errrr... _love_ me?"

Red, not at all bothered by her unexpected question, nodded nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal. Serena was speechless. It was as if Red had no secrets in the world.

"B-but how?" she asked.

Red shrugged his shoulders.

"You know... I really admire you Red." said Serena truthfully.

Red stopped walking and looked at Serena, a small trace of shock on his face. He pointed at himself to clarify.

"Yes, you." giggled Serena.

Red stared at her, his eyes wide.

"You want to know why?"

Red nodded.

"You've saved my life. Me, the girl who crushed your heart just a day earlier. Then I hurt you again, and you still forgave me when I came crying like the pathetic girl I was. And now, after two months of being my best friend, you still love me, when as far as you know, you're still in the friendzone. I just can't comprehend it. You're really one of a kind."

Serena hugged Red. Red hugged her back, completely flattered by Serena's praise. But then, a certain part of what Serena had just said repeated in Red's head: As far as _he knew, _he was still in the friendzone. Which meant there was something he didn't know, something that would make him think otherwise. Red sighed in happiness. Serena had just indirectly told him she had feelings for him.

During the hug, Serena had realized the same thing_. _She looked up towards Red, who had a cocky smirk on his face. Serena sighed in defeat. Her secret was out.

_"I guess he knows now..." _she thought with a shy smile. _"But it'll be fun to play dumb a little."_

"Red, why are you smiling like that?" asked Serena, pretending to be confused.

Red did not answer. He seemed to be looking at something else entirely now. His smile was gone. The mood around them both had sharply changed from romantic to ominous.

"Red? What's wrong?"

Red's eyes widened, his mouth opening a bit. He looked afraid.

"Red! What on earth are you looking at?" asked Serena.

She turned to the direction Red was looking in. As soon as she turned around, it was very clear why Red was scared. Standing very nearby was a large Machoke. And it was staring right at them, growling and snarling. Serena froze in fear, just like Red had. After one final snarl, the Machoke charged straight towards them. Red quickly grabbed Serena by the hand and ran. Serena screamed.

* * *

Serena's scream echoed throughout the maze, reaching May and Ash's ears. Just Ash's luck, it was in the middle of his confession.

"I am in love with..." Ash paused as he heard Serena's scream. "Serena?"

"That sounded like Serena!" said May with a worried tone. She then paused, thinking about what Ash had just said. "Hold up; YOU LOVE SERENA?!"

"No no no of course not!" answered Ash as he waved his arms frantically. "When I heard her scream I said her name! Honest!"

"Oh, okay..." said May in a relieved tone.

"Hey... why do you seem so relieved?" asked Ash with a grin.

"Ummm, ahhhmmm... We don't have time to talk! We have to go see what happened to Serena! Come on!" said May, grabbing Ash.

"Okay okay!" replied Ash as he was dragged through the maze by May.

* * *

"Red! What are we going to do?!" yelled Serena as the Machoke chased them.

Red did not respond, as he was busy trying to save both his and Serena's lives. They turned around a corner, only for a man dressed in a vampire suit to jump out in an attempt to scare them.

"Bwahahahar imma suck yo' blood!" bellowed 'Dracula.'

Red and Serena ran right past Dracula, confusing the man.

"The hell they runnin' from?" said Dracula. The Machoke then appeared. "Oh shit!"

But instead of attacking the man, the Machoke paused for a second, looked at the man, rolled its eyes, then continued chasing Red and Serena.

Meanwhile, Red and Serena were still running. Red, knowing they couldn't run forever, thought of a plan. He stopped running and wrapped his arms around Serena.

"What the hell Red! This is no time for hugs!" yelled Serena.

Red ignored her and jumped into the uncut cornstalks next to them, taking Serena with him. They landed on their sides, Red's arms still wrapped protectively around Serena. In any other scenario, Serena would be exploding in joy. She was laying with Red, his arms wrapped around her. But since they were being hunted by an insane pokemon, she paid no attention to her and Red's intimate position.

"Red, I'm sca-"

"Shhh." shushed Red, placing a finger on Serena's lips.

Serena's eyes widened. Red had just made a noise. Granted that noise did not require vocal cords, but it was still odd to hear Red make a sound. Shrugging it off, Serena focused her mind on her situation once more. It was clear why Red had put them in this position. To hide. And she knew that they had to stay quiet, or they were doomed.

Serena began to shiver, solely out of fear. She looked up to Red's eyes for comfort, and found his facial expression to be unreadable. He didn't look scared at all. Nor did he look embarrassed about how close they were or anything. He seemed to be thinking about something. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his eyes had a distant stare in them. Red's mind was occupied with one question: Why did the Machoke want them so bad?

Since Red's mind was somewhere else, all Serena could do was pray the Machoke didn't find them. So there she lay, hyperventilating. Red soon left his deep thought and realized just how scared Serena was. He placed a comforting hand on the back of her head and stroked her hair slowly. Almost immediately, Serena's shivering ceased, and her breathing returned to normal.

It wasn't long before footsteps could be heard nearby. Each step sent chills down Serena's spine.

_"Please don't find us... pleeease don't find us..."_ thought Serena fearfully. She closed her eyes tightly.

Tears began to stream down her face. Red wiped the tears off her cheeks, which caused her to open her eyes. Her eyes opened to see Red giving her a soft smile. Her heart beat sped up significantly. At that moment, Serena realized that what she felt for Redwood Ketchum was more than a simple crush; It was love.

She buried her face in Red's chest, the footsteps getting very close. Then, she heard something part the cornstalks that hid her and Red. The pair closed their eyes.

_"This is it. We've been found..."_ thought Serena sadly.

"Why are you guys napping in the cornstalks?" laughed Ash with a goofy grin. "May, I found them."

"Oh good!" said May, running over. She then saw the position Red and Serena were in. "Ash, I think we interrupted something steamy."

Serena rolled her eyes, while Red quickly yanked Ash and May down, hiding them as well.

"Oww...What was that for?" mumbled Ash, rubbing his head.

"Shhh." whispered Serena. "Why are you guys here?"

"We came looking for you after we heard you scream." whispered Ash. "What happened?"

"There is a huge, angry, wild Machoke hunting down Red and I. We have no idea why. You found us hiding. We weren't doing anything else." replied Serena.

"Oh. Then we should probably stop talking so it doesn't find us." said May, a little to loudly. Red facepalmed.

"...Too late for that." said Ash, pointing upwards with a shaky hand.

Towering above them was the Machoke, staring right at them.

May and Serena screamed, while Ash and Red quickly stood up and grabbed May and Serena respectively. May and Serena quickly got to their feet and ran alongside Ash and Red. The chase resumed. The Machoke roared, not planning on losing it's prey again.

"Oh my god, we're gonna die!" said May.

"Don't say that!" screamed Serena.

"Then what are we gonna do?!" retorted May.

"If my memory serves me correctly, we started the maze from the southern end of the cornfields." said Ash in a level-headed tone.

"So?!" replied Serena, slightly annoyed with how calm Ash was in a life-or-death situation.

"You see that unusually bright star right there?" said Ash, pointing upwards. "That's Polaris."

"Ash! Now's not the time for an Astronomy lesson!" yelled Serena.

"Ugh, don't you get it?!" replied Ash.

"Get what?!" retorted Serena.

"I get it!" responded May. "Polaris is also known as the North Star! If we run _away_ from Polaris, we'll be heading South, which is where the exit of the maze is!"

"Exactly. Which means, we run _this _way." replied Ash, turning left.

"I hope you're right!" said Serena. "That Machoke is gaining on us!"

"I'm always right." replied Ash.

Red, Serena and May listened to Ash's plan, and within minutes, they were out of the maze. But unfortunately, they had not lost the Machoke. He was still chasing them, roaring and growling the whole way. As soon as they were out of the maze, Ash whistled a tune that was familiar to Red and May. Serena, on the other hand, had never heard the tune before.

"Why the heck are you whistling?!" asked Serena.

"I'm calling Pikachu." replied Ash.

"Ash, I don't think Pikachu will hear you from here!" cried May.

All of their legs were exhausted. And the Machoke showed no signs of fatigue. They needed a miracle, or they were doomed.

"Oh, he'll come." said Ash confidently. "My buddy's never too far away."

As if on cue, a powerful thunderbolt struck the Machoke's head, causing it to stop running and rub its head. The teens stopped running, all except Ash wondering what had happened. The Machoke was stumbling around, dizzy from the powerful attack. Red, Serena, and May looked at Ash, to find a familiar yellow mouse on Ash's shoulder.

"Good job, Pikachu. Right on time." said Ash, scratching the area behind Pikachu's ears.

"Chaaaa~~!" replied Pikachu.

Serena and May were too busy catching their breath to make any comments. Ash turned to May and smiled.

"Um May? I need my hat. I can't battle without it." he said.

"Huh?" asked May, confused. She then looked upwards and realized that she had been wearing Ash's hat all night. "Oh, whoops. Here, take it."

Ash caught the hat, and placed it on his head, backwards. Ash had officially entered Badass Mode.

Ash's eyes focused his eyes on the Machoke, who was regaining its senses. "Alright Pikachu, let's start this by rushing him with a Quick Attack, and then following it up with an Iron Tail."

"Pika!" chirped Pikachu as he jumped off of Ash's shoulder, assuming his battle stance.

The Machoke growled, and charged towards Pikachu. Pikachu put Ash's orders into action, and dashed towards the Machoke at a speed that would make Sonic the Hedgehog growl in jealousy. The Quick Attack hit the Machoke right in the stomach, knocking it over. As soon as the hit connected, Pikachu jumped into the air, and delivered a devastating Iron Tail to the Machoke's head, causing it to faint.

"That Pikachu... is on steroids..." gasped Serena, still breathing heavily.

"Nah, Ash is just a kick-ass trainer." said May with admiration.

Pikachu ran back to Ash and hopped onto his shoulder again. Ash pet Pikachu's ears, which caused Pikachu to sigh in content.

"Thanks, buddy. Really pulled us out of the fire there." praised Ash. He then turned to Red, Serena and May. Serena and May both looked tired, while Red looked rather energized. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine." said Serena and May, while Red nodded his head happily.

"*Sigh* It seems the night's been ruined." said Ash gloomily.

"Well, I mean, if you omit the killer Machoke chasing us, it wasn't that bad, right Serena?" said May in an unsure tone.

"Ummm, yeah! And plus, this night will be a great story to tell people!" said Serena, trying her best to be optimistic.

"That's one way to look at it..." muttered Ash, clearly unconvinced.

"Oh Ash, *yawn* don't be such a sad-sack..." said May sleepily. Serena yawned as well.

"It looks like we're all pretty exhausted from all that running..." observed Ash. "Want Red and I to walk you home?"

"That would be nice..." muttered Serena drowsily, making her way towards Red. "Hey, I know this may seem a little... lazy of me, but you're big and strong right? Can you please carry me home?"

Red simply smiled and allowed Serena to hop onto his back. A piggyback ride.

"Thanks.." she muttered as she fell asleep, the events of the night taking a toll on her both physically and mentally.

Ash and May watched as Serena fell asleep on Red's back, her head leaning on his shoulder comfortably. May then placed a hand on her hip and looked at Ash expectantly.

"W-what?" asked Ash, backing up.

"You know what." said May with a smirk.

"N-never!" said Ash shakily.

"Pweeeeassssseeee?" asked May, looking Ash in the eyes.

"Okayyyyyy..." sighed Ash as he let May hop onto his back. He may have been able to defeat any pokemon trainer, but Ash could never defeat the force of nature that was May's eyes. To him, they were on a whole different level.

With everything settled, the teens began their 15 minute journey back to the Maple household. May had tried to stay awake for the whole trip, but her eyelids betrayed her. She fell asleep 3 minutes in, leaving Ash, Red, and Pikachu as the only conscious members of to group. Ash was struggling to carry May after a while, but he knew dropping her was not an option. She'd kill him, or worse; force him to eat ice-cream. In an effort to take his mind off of the strain his muscles were enduring, Ash glanced at Red, who had a large, goofy grin plastered to his face.

"What are you so happy about?" grunted Ash.

Red motioned his head towards Serena.

"What, are you happy because you got to lay with her?" asked Ash.

Red shrugged his shoulders.

"What do you mean you don't know? If that's not why you're happy, then what is?"

Red looked up to the sky and sighed happily.

"Man... you must really love her, huh?" said Ash with a smile.

Red nodded his head.

"Well... here we are. The Maple house." said Ash, clearly relieved. "Finally it's ove-"

Ash collapsed face first, his legs reaching their limit. The impact of Ash hitting the ground woke May, and the sound woke Serena.

"Ow." said Ash monotonously, his voice muffled by the ground.

"Huh? What's going on?" asked May rubbing her eyes. She then realized that Ash was face down on the ground, and she was on top of him, preventing him from getting up. "Oh, sorry Ash. Here, let me help you up."

May grabbed Ash's hand and helped him get up. As soon as he stood, his glasses split in half and fell to the ground. The fall had broken them. Ash simply stared at the pieces, not looking too upset.

"Your glasses just broke." said Serena, hopping off of Red's back. "But you don't seem that upset."

"I'm actually kinda happy they broke." said Ash. "If I beg enough, maybe my mom will let me buy contacts instead of new ones."

"You're welcome." said May.

"Wha?" asked Ash.

"If it wasn't for me weighing you down, you wouldn't have fallen, and your glasses would never have broken!" said May cheerfully.

"Hm, I guess that's true. Thanks, May." said Ash with a grin.

"No problem. Now give me a hug!"

Ash braced himself, expecting the usual tackle-hug he associated May with. But instead, May walked up to him and gave Ash a normal hug. The shock was clear on Ash's face, as he'd never received a normal hug from May. May sighed in content, and then whispered a few words into Ash's ear.

"Thanks for the awesome night, Ash. Happy Halloween." whispered May. She then planted a secret kiss on Ash's cheek, causing him to have the same reaction as he did when she kissed him earlier. May then waved goodbye to Red and skipped into her house.

Meanwhile, Serena also planned on giving Red a kiss on the cheek. But when she tried, Red saw a small pokemon out of the corner of his eye, and turned his head slightly to look at it. Serena's kiss missed his cheek and met his lips instead.

Both their eyes widened, as they immediately broke the kiss. There was a pause.

"Goodnight!" squealed a nervous Serena as she dashed inside her house.

Red, realizing the kiss was meant for his cheek, Red waved goodbye. With May and Serena safely home, it was time for Red and Ash to go home. But Ash was still in a trance from May's kiss on the cheek. With no remorse, Red kicked Ash in the leg to snap him out of it.

"Ow! You bastard!" roared Ash.

Red smirked, and then kicked Ash's other leg.

"Agh! You're just jealous because May kissed my cheek TWICE today! Hah! This day belongs to Ash Ketchum!" shouted Ash triumphantly.

Red snorted, rolled his eyes, and walked away, heading home.

"Hey! Wait up!" called Ash.

A few seconds later, a loud noise was heard, and Red turned around to see Ash face down on the ground. Because of his poor sight, he had walked into a street sign.

"Who put that sign there?" mumbled Ash in pain.

* * *

A hooded figure walked among to cornfields, making sure to keep his identity concealed. He was not in a good mood, as nothing had went as planned. Yet again, his plans were thwarted by his mortal enemy. He thought that this plan could not fail, but there he was, retrieving his pokemon that failed to accomplish the mission it was given.

"Fucking ridiculous..." he muttered as he saw his pokemon's unconscious body sprawled out on the ground.

The hooded figure, having no sympathy for the injured pokemon, walked over and shook it into consciousness with his foot. The Machoke's eyes slowly opened, revealing a scary sight. The angry eyes of his master.

"M-machok-"

"Save it." snapped the hooded figure. "You had one freaking job. ONE JOB! All you had to do was find both the Ketchums, knock them out, and bring them to me. That's all you had to do, and you blew it."

"Machoke..." mumbled the Machoke sadly.

"Oh whatever. I'm sure Breloom could've done a better job than the absolute shit you did. Just get in the ball." said the figure as he grabbed a pokeball from his pocket. "Machoke, return."

In a flash of red light, the Machoke returned into the ball. The figure sighed and took off his hood, revealing his head of unruly brown hair. He heard some footsteps behind him, and turned his head sideways to see a friend of his.

"Yo Kenny, enough with the mysterious shit. Let's get out of here." called Trip.

"Shut the fuck up, Trip." replied Kenny as he shoved his Machoke's pokeball back into his pocket.

* * *

**Whew! That was longer than I thought it would be! Geez, 8,705 words! The longest chapter I've ever written on any story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you understand why there was a timeskip. It would be weird and unrealistic for the characters to be as close as they are in this chapter if there wasn't a timeskip. Also, I plan on doing two more chapters based on holidays. The next chapter's gonna be another timeskip to Christmas. Then it'll skip to New Years. The skip from Christmas to New Years will be the final timeskip. Alright, see ya later everyone! Feel free to ask any questions! Constructive criticism accepted!  
**

**~DarkSlash9**


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